Survivors remember vicious act of violence

Death took toll on kin, victim's brother says

Mehmet Tursun, a native of Yecheng county, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, said that the terrorists that attacked innocent people in the county in 2012 were "absolute monsters", and that he is still clueless as to how people could have carried out such unspeakable acts.

He was one of many survivors and families of victims of terrorist attacks who recently shared their stories in a special report titled Victims and Survivors of Terrorism in China: An Oral History, which was released by the Institute for Communication and Borderland Governance at Jinan University on Thursday last week.

Mehmet, whose brother was killed during the attack on Xingfu Road on Feb 28, 2012, said the incident has caused so much pain that he and his family still suffer to this day.

"It ruined my sister-in-law's entire family, and my dad was in constant pain and eventually passed away. I always feel great anger, and I would like to meet those terrorists who killed innocent people indiscriminately, and even if there is no way I can meet them, I just want to ask them: on what grounds can they kill those who have no grudges against them and those the terrorists don't even know?" said Mehmet, who did not name his brother.

After the incident, Mehmet said his family felt like they were on a train that was suddenly pulled off the track.

He recalled that the terrorists stabbed anyone they saw on the street indiscriminately. As they made their way along Xingfu Road, they came to the edible oil and grain shop where his brother worked.

"The wife of the boss of my brother's store had to run and hide under a table," he said.

Later, Mehmet said she told him that she saw employees trying to hide under tables as well, as the terrorists chased them.

"My brother punched the terrorists who attacked him in front of the store, and then he was hacked and killed by them," he said.

"When my brother's body was sent back to us, we found wounds on his head, neck, shoulder and left arm."

Mehmet said the whole family cried together in sadness.