BEIJING, Sept. 24  -- Most terrorist groups in Xinjiang Autonomous Region have been knocked out at the planning stage, according to a white paper published Thursday.

The public security organs in Xinjiang are on high alert for signs of violent attacks and terrorism, and respond with heavy crackdown, said the white paper, Historical Witness to Ethnic Equality, Unity and Development in Xinjiang, published by the State Council Information Office.

It said, ever since its founding, the autonomous region has made constant efforts in strengthening rule of law, managing all affairs on the basis of law and remaining resolute in punishing violent terrorist crimes, in order to promote ethnic unity and achieve harmonious social development.

Meanwhile, judicial organs in the autonomous region rigorously distinguish commonplace criminal offenses from violent and terrorist crimes and handled the latter accordingly to firmly maintain social justice.

In the nationwide crackdown on violent and terrorist activities launched on May 2014, some violent terrorist gangs had been smashed, and some fugitives had turned themselves in taking advice of their families or inspired by the state policies, according to the white paper.

It also said, the tendency of frequent eruptions of violent and terrorist attacks in Xinjiang has been somewhat checked.

Since the 1990s, the three forces (ethnic separatism, religious extremism, and violent terrorism) working from bases both inside and outside China have planned and staged a series of incidents of terror and violence, in Xinjiang and elsewhere, causing great loss to the lives and property of innocent civilians of all ethnic groups.

Of them, the July 5 riot in Urumqi in 2009 killed 197, injured over 1,700, and caused huge property damage. The terrorist attack in Shache County, Kashgar Prefecture on July 28, 2014 claimed 37 lives and injured 13, with 31 vehicles being smashed or burned, according to the white paper.