An investigator works outside the debris of a burned bus in Xiamen, Southeast China's Fujian Province, early June 8, 2013. The bus fire happening in Xiamen on Friday evening has claimed 47 lives and hospitalized 34 passgengers. An old man who allegedly set fire to the crowded bus to "vent personal grievances" had died in the blaze, local authorities said Saturday. Chen Shuizong, born in 1954 and a native of Xiamen, was identified as the arsonist of the fire. (Xinhua)

 
Last Friday's Xiamen bus fire, which claimed 47 lives, has been confirmed as a serious criminal case in which the suspect sought to take revenge on the innocent. The perpetrator should be heavily condemned by the whole of society.

The perpetrator was found to have died in the blast, which prompted the public to assume that he must have been in a desperate situation to have committed such an act. A few people have started to direct their criticism against the government, showing mercy to the perpetrator.

Such crimes are mostly driven by wretched personal stories. But this cannot be used as an excuse for such a brutal massacre. Morality, law and humanity leave no space for compromise over such crimes.

Condemnation is obviously not enough. We should try to ascertain what led the perpetrator to such a horrific act of hatred. If the malpractice of some public servants contributed to the act, severe punishments should be laid on them. Such incidents must always be accompanied by strict inspections and reflections.

Ambiguous attitudes toward this incident - especially when people show their resentment not to the perpetrator but to the government, which was said to be what drove him to this crime - are so misleading that potential sociopaths could be encouraged by this "legitimate" cause.

Chinese social media is now clouded by resentment, which has come about for various reasons, but is vented through such terrible incidents. This is also a common problem that lingers in China's Internet. We believe that the outlet for such moods needs to be regulated in a proper manner, and at the very least, any public remarks supporting these antisocial criminals should not be allowed. This does not harm free speech, but safeguards the bottom line of a civilized society.

Horrific incidents like this now happen in China from time to time. On the one hand, the authorities should draw lessons and be aware of the necessity to vent antisocial emotions in their early stage. On the other, security measures in public places, despite consuming much time and effort, must be strengthened. Tight security checks, effective evacuation training and similar measures will help minimize casualties.

Antisocial crimes can be seen around the world, and China is still in a phase of social contradictions, but we still need to reflect on whether the casualties and frequency of such crimes are too high for a country which maintains strict public security.

This kind of reflection not only applies to the government, but more importantly, should also be applied to the whole of society, because the perpetrators of these extreme cases are mostly grass-roots citizens whose interests need to be carefully considered.