China mobilises one-lakh strong citizen army to gather intel on terror

Chinese police have mobilised one lakh-strong citizen army here with monetary rewards to gather intelligence against potential terror attacks as part of national anti-terrorism campaign, according to media reports.

The huge public intelligence group, regarded as one of the largest in recent years consisted of community leaders and volunteers across Beijing.

It will collect anti-terror intelligence and report to the city’s public security agency, Beijing Youth Daily and Beijing News reported on Thursday.

Each piece of valid information will net a citizen agent a reward of 2 yuan while those who report three pieces of intelligence a day will be offered 200 yuan (about USD 33) a month.

Over eight lakh volunteers have been mobilised to patrol the capital together with the police, Hong Kong based South China Morning Post reported.

China has announced a series of security measures after recent spate of terrorist attacks by Islamic militants from Xinjiang as well as increasing knife attacks by disgruntled elements on public.

Thirty nine people were killed and 94 injured in multiple bomb attacks in Urumqi, capital of China’s Xinjiang province which is the scene of riots and violent incidents in recent years in the back drop of ethnic tensions over resentment by native Muslim Uygurs about the increasing settlements of Hans from other provinces.

China blames East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) for various terror attacks in Xinjiang and elsewhere.

On Thursday Chinese President Xi Jinping called for ‘nets spread from the earth to the sky’ to counter Islamist militants in the volatile Xinjiang province and asked officials to prevent infiltration from across the borders.