Xinjiang commander dismissed after Tiananmen Square incident

Xinjiang Commander Peng Yong was removed from his post as a member of the Xinjiang Party Standing Committee after the attack at Tiananmen Square.

According to observers, losing his party position is the first step before General Peng is dismissed from other positions in the military.

Xinjiang Daily reported on November 3 that Liu Lei, the political commissar of the Xinjiang Military Region, will replace Peng Yong as commander of the Xinjiang Military Region. Chinese authorities did not give a reason for removing Peng.

Security around Tiananmen Square is tightened (Photo: Reuters)

However, many observers believe the dismissal is related to the car crash in Tiananmen Square that killed five people and injured 40.

Beijing described the attack as a “terrorist attack” carried out by a group of eight people from Xinjiang. Police said the group was in possession of “numerous Tibetan-style knives and 400 liters of petrol”.

Authorities have arrested five suspects from Xinjiang. Chinese authorities have accused the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) of being behind the Tiananmen Square car crash.

In 2013, three major riots occurred in Xinjiang, killing dozens of people./.

According to Tuoi Tre