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在线翻译:
szdaily -> In depth -> 
A year without Internet in Xinjiang
    2014-04-22  08:53    Shenzhen Daily

    WHAT would life be like without the Internet?

    On July 5, 2009, rock-flinging and knife-wielding thugs looted shops, torched vehicles, killed nearly 200 people and injured another 1,700 in Urumqi, the capital of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Internet access in the region was cut off in the wake of the riot to prevent violent crimes from happening again.

    In addition to Internet access and short message service (SMS), the regional government also suspended international direct dialing (IDD). Temporary Internet and communication controls were deemed necessary at the time because public security and intelligence authorities had evidence the violence had been incited and organized via the Internet, SMS and IDD.

    Experts said potential extremists in Xinjiang learned through the Internet how to initiate terrorist attacks and make explosives. The Internet and SMS were the essential tools for criminal purposes at the time.

    As a result, life for those living in Xinjiang changed abruptly after the July 5 riot.

    In the eyes of a local college student surnamed Wang, almost all Internet bars in Urumqi at that time were transformed into game rooms overnight. “Otaku,” or young people who surf the web all day, left their homes to hang out with friends in restaurants, drinking beer and feasting on mutton kebabs. Without interaction on popular social media websites such as Renren.com and Weibo.com, the Chinese versions of Facebook and Twitter, most youngsters in Xinjiang sought solace in mini games.

    Video shops that had been on the verge of extinction were revived, with customers flooding in to rent movies. Every film, blockbuster or not, became a sell-out hit in local cinemas.

    Wang himself became a frequenter of KTVs, or karaoke bars. “My singing skills were honed during that time,” he said.

    Some parents became strong advocates of the “No Internet” policy. A middle-aged woman recalled that time as simple and calm. “I did not have to worry about my son’s net addiction,” she said, adding that her son was more willing to participate in outdoor activities.

    But another resident, surnamed Li, recalled that his family had a pretty difficult year. His son was applying to study abroad. All the materials, including academic transcripts, recommendation letters and application forms, needed to be sent via email. Every weekend, the son and his parents drove half a day out of Xinjiang to neighboring Gansu Province to check into a hotel room with Internet access.

    Against the backdrop of an improved social situation and growing calls from Internet users, full Internet access in Xinjiang was restored May 14, 2010, over 10 months after the deadly riot.

    On that day, a public servant, surnamed Zhang, succeeded in reaching the login interface of QQ, a Chinese instant messaging program, but failed to remember his password.

    Those who lived through that period in Xinjiang admitted that they couldn’t go back to life without the Internet, but that the Internet is not a “virtual world” where people can make irresponsible speeches or organize illegal activities. “After all, everyone hopes for a peaceful life, which is closely bound up with a harmonious online environment,” a local citizen said.(Xinhua)

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