Three deadly attacks in November have prompted Chinese leader Xi Jinping to order authoritarian measures against what Chinese Communist authorities call “revenge on society crimes,” even as critics warn of increasing government surveillance.
The deadliest incident saw 35 people killed in Zhuhai when a man, reportedly upset over his divorce, drove into a crowd. In separate attacks, a failed investor wounded 30 at a Hunan elementary school, while a student who failed exams killed eight at a Yixing vocational school.
“Every person has a feeling of injustice. They feel deeply that this society is very unfair and they can’t bear it anymore,” said former political science professor Wu Qiang, who linked the attacks to broader social pressures.
Xi directed local authorities “to strengthen prevention and control of risks at the source, strictly prevent extreme cases from occurring, and to resolve conflicts and disputes in a timely manner,” according to state media Xinhua.
Officials are inspecting schools, police stations, and factories while monitoring personal disputes and communications.
However, the communist government’s tight control of information makes tracking some incidents difficult, with videos and eyewitness accounts quickly censored.
“I think we’re at the beginning of a vicious cycle,” warned University of Toronto professor Lynette Ong. “If you nip the conflict in its bud, you’d imagine the system then would impose a lot of pressure on schools, enterprises and factories.”