Landlords punished in terror fight

Two landlords have been punished for leasing houses to suspected terrorists in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong province, police sources said on Thursday.

The landlords, surnamed Chen and Lai, were punished after police in Guangzhou's Baiyun district detained two suspected terrorists in the rental houses on July 13 and 16 after tip-offs from residents, Guangzhou public security bureau said.

An investigation found that Chen, 42, and Lai, 61, did not check the identity of the tenants or register and report them to relevant departments as required when they leased the houses to them, said a statement on the bureau's website.

"Chen comes from Hunan province, while Lai is a native of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. They failed to fulfill their obligations as landlords and were only concerned with the rent," said the statement, which did not give details of the landlords' punishment.

It is the first time landlords have been punished for leasing houses to suspected terrorists in the southern province, which borders the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.

Police urged local residents not to lease their homes to people who fail to show their identity cards and related documents.

"Landlords should also report the personal data of their tenants to relevant departments," the statement said.

Huang Shiding, a professor at Guangzhou Academy of Social Science, said combating terrorism is not only the responsibility of the police but also of residents. "All of society should attach great importance to antiterrorism work," he told China Daily on Thursday.

Huang urged local people to abide by the rules and regulations governing the city's rental homes and to report the personal details of their tenants to relevant departments.

Xie Xiaodan, deputy mayor of Guangzhou, said the fight against terrorism is a long-term and tough task in Guangzhou, a political, cultural and economic center.

"Police across Guangzhou should spare no effort in rooting out and wiping out terrorists who have escaped to or are hiding in the city," said Xie, who is also director of Guangzhou bureau of public security.

Xie was speaking at a ceremony marking the establishment of the city's anti-terrorism police detachment in mid-July.

He has also promised to increase cooperation on combating terrorism with counterparts in other cities on the mainland and in Hong Kong and Macao.

Guangzhou public security bureau is to reward people with between 1,000 yuan ($160) and 500,000 yuan when they provide valuable clues to police that can help solve terrorism cases in the city.

A major anti-terrorism drill was organized in the square at Guangzhou Railway Station on Tuesday night, aimed at testing and further improving the city's capacity to deal with possible and sudden terrorist attacks.