Comment: who is going to unmask corruption?

Home>>Opinion

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, November 14, 2003

Comment: who is going to unmask corruption?

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

China's minister of land and resources Tian Fengshan was lately dismissed from his post for his "serious violation of discipline". The exposure has drawn wide attention from home and abroad, showing the determination of the state's new leadership to root out the corruption.

The breaches done by Tian mainly focus on two aspects according to the related reports of various newspapers. First, during his tenure of office in Heilongjiang, Tian was involved in many corruption cases found in the province of northeast China. Second, during his working period in the Ministry of Land and Resources, a series of problems were discovered in some places in land approval, transfer and use of state special funds.

No matter whether these reports are convinced or not, one thing is, however, for certain---the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the CPC will never be so risky as to make decision for his dismissal without solid corruption facts of such an official, especially one belonging to the "cabinet", as termed by westerners.

So, one is by no means difficult to find out many thought-provoking questions should he pit the clues and traces of dishonesty of Tian against the process of his being promoted.

Deep-thought 1: is it the case on Tian while he was being promoted one following another he was engaged in corruption activities?

When he acted as secretary of the CPC Harbin City Committee in Heilongjiang, for example, Tian was already involved in a local bribery case. But later he was promoted to the post of province governor, then minister of land and resources. According to the procedure for cadre-selection and appointment no decision for appointment and promotion should be made hastily before strict examination, yet Tian seemed to remain untouched. Doesn't it indicate that the system is still ripped open with some flaws in selecting and assigning important leaders?

Deep-thought 2: what a role on earth can the masses of people play in the supervision over high-ranking officials?

Theoretically speaking, the masses of people is the main body of state power, under which all powers exercised by state officials should be subject to its supervision. However, in reality ordinary people could hardly exercise any force of supervision.

Lu Tianming, a famous writer, recently revealed that he was aware of Tian 's corruption when he made the dishonest official a principal character in a TV drama that was on show at least two years ago, but dared not to breathe a word about him at that time.

Asking a writer to stand out and unmask corrupted officials would be too much for him, since their means of revenge are too cruel. A cadre in Shijiazhuang, who fought eight years with Cheng Weigao (the former chief leader of Hebei Province) and was thrown into the jail, serves a ready notation to the fact. Even if Lu really braced up and exposed the corruption, how far he could carry on remains still doubtful.

Can these tails of the "state masters" still wag to exercise power of supervision in a place where the masses of people are silenced by the revenge-intimidation from their "servants"?

Deep-thought 3: Is it necessary to establish a special supervisory framework for special posts in exercising public powers?

From Cheng Weigao, Liu Fangren, to Tian Fengshan, one can find in them a common phenomenon that is they were in no way lack of personal struggle during their rising, and didn't intend to become a corruptible element from the very beginning. The tragedy in common is that, when they were given too much power and effective supervision was absent, their self-control, flaw in nature as human beings, collapsed under the pressure of temptations and desires fluxing in from all sides, and they betrayed all their beliefs they once advocated. Becoming dubious in personality in the long run, they were broken to pieces by their own words and deeds. While playing a "gentlemen" on the one hand in the face the others, they are on the other in tenterhooks all day long for fear of being exposed and disciplined.

All these cases prove that, for those special posts (high posts with absolute authority) in the execution of public powers, only by establishing a special supervisory framework can the malpractice of powers be prevented so as to avoid the heavy losses entailed therefrom to the nation and the people.

(Article from Xinwen Zhoukan (News Weekly), translated by PD Online)

Questions?Comments? Click here

Land and resources minister removed from post

Late exposure of corruption, a thought-provoking issue

Is English invading Chinese culture? ( 20 Messages)

Chinese fleet visit heart of US forces in the Pacific ( 15 Messages)

Global survey: Chinese women sexiest ( 56 Messages)

Economist: China has no need to worry about possible trade deficits ( 3 Messages)

Japanese students, teacher make apology in Xi'an ( 17 Messages)

China expects to see trade deficit in near future: official ( 9 Messages)