BEIJING, March 10 -- The overall situation in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region remains stable and controllable despite terror attacks, a senior official said Tuesday.

"Violent terror attacks have provoked strong condemnation and opposition in the region," said Shohrat Zakir, chairman of the Xinjiang regional government, at a panel discussion during the ongoing annual session of the National People's Congress, the country's top legislature.

With concerted efforts of people from all ethnic groups, violent terrorist crimes were cracked down resolutely in accordance with the law and the sanctity of law was safeguarded, he said.

"A number of violent terrorist attacks had been thwarted while they were still in embryonic stages," he said. "There will be fewer and fewer, rather than more and more, violent terrorist cases."

He said even relatives of terrorists had been actively assisting the authorities to foil their activities, which made them feel that they were doing disservice to the society and people around them.

The government was also enhancing education in maintaining stability, he said.

Stressing that terrorists are of the nature of anti-human and anti-society, Shohrat Zakir said:" They must be dealt with resolutely according to the law."