Violent Attacks in China: A Growing Concern
A vehicle ploughed into students and pedestrians outside a primary school in China’s Hunan province on Tuesday morning, injuring several people, state media reported. This incident comes days after a driver rammed his car into a crowd at a sports centre in Zhuhai, killing 35 people and severely injuring 43.
The Incident
The vehicle struck people outside Yongan Primary School in Changde city as students were arriving for the day. Many were injured in the incident, with a more detailed tally of the injuries not available. It is unclear what caused the crash or whether it was intentional.
Social Media Reaction
Short video clips circulating on Chinese social media showed young children running near the school, some into the school compound, and shouting, "Save us." Someone can be heard shouting, "Call the police." Another video showed a man surrounded by a crowd and apparently beaten with sticks and rods. A separate clip showed a man handcuffed and being held down on wet cement by a figure in uniform.
Similar Incidents
This incident follows a spate of violent attacks in China over the past week. Days earlier, a driver rammed his car into a crowd at a sports centre in Zhuhai, killing 35 people and severely injuring 43. The police blamed the incident on a male driver angry at his divorce settlement.
Days later, a former student went on a stabbing rampage at a vocational college in eastern China’s Wuxi, killing eight people. In both incidents, little information has been released by police, with the two men appearing to have lashed out with fatal violence against unrelated bystanders after suffering an economic loss.
Discussion on Social Media
The lack of details released about these and similar attacks has stirred discussion on Chinese social media, much of it quickly censored, about a rise in economic and societal pressure in the country and the mental health resources available to deal with it.
Expert Analysis
Qu Weiguo, a Fudan University professor, said the recent cases of "indiscriminate revenge against society" in China had some common features: disadvantaged suspects, many with mental health issues, who believed that they had been treated unfairly and who felt they had no other way to be heard.
"It is important to establish a social safety net and a psychological counselling mechanism, but in order to minimise such cases, the most effective way is to open public channels that can monitor and expose the use of power," Qu posted on the Chinese social media platform Weibo.
Conclusion
The recent spate of violent attacks in China highlights the growing concern over economic and societal pressure in the country. The lack of information released by police and the mental health resources available to deal with these issues has sparked a heated debate on social media.
FAQs
Q: What happened in the latest incident?
A: A vehicle ploughed into students and pedestrians outside a primary school in China’s Hunan province, injuring several people.
Q: What happened in the previous incidents?
A: A driver rammed his car into a crowd at a sports centre in Zhuhai, killing 35 people and severely injuring 43, and a former student went on a stabbing rampage at a vocational college in eastern China’s Wuxi, killing eight people.
Q: What is the cause of these incidents?
A: It is unclear what caused the crash or whether it was intentional. However, experts believe that economic and societal pressure may be contributing factors.
Q: What is being done to address the issue?
A: The Chinese government has not commented on the incidents, but experts are calling for greater transparency and mental health resources to be made available to deal with the issue.