Police chief sacked for revenge on newsman
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2005-10-30 11:32

A traffic police chief was dismissed from his post Friday for attacking a newspaper office and hurting a newsman recently, a move reflecting China's resolution to punish police hegemony and respect media supervision.

The deputy editor in chief of the government-subsidized Taizhou Evening News, was "arrested" for a critical report involving local traffic police and manhandled like a criminal into a patrol car. [sina]

Li Xiaoguo, head of the Jiaojiang Traffic Police Detachment under Taizhou Public Security Bureau of east China's Zhejiang Province, was removed from his position for revenging on a veteran newsman on a news report revealing public complaints on traffic police work.

Li, also a member of the Communist Party of China (CPC), was also deprived of all party duties, Zhu Xianliang, deputy secretary of Taizhou CPC committee, announced the decision at a special convocation, confirming the justice of the newspaper and the "sheerly wrong" action of the police organ.

"The event has incurred extremely bad influence and taught us a profound lesson," Zhu admitted.

A report entitled "Is Fee Reasonable for Electric Bike Registration?" was published on Oct. 19 by Taizhou Evening News to show public opinions and give an explanation by another traffic cop pertaining to the issue.

"The report was based on interviews with Taizhou CPC commissionfor discipline inspection and the city's complaint-receiving center," said Lu Weibo, a reporter of the evening news.

However, Li Xiaoguo intruded upon the newspaper's headquarters the next day and fought with the deputy editor in chief Wu Xianghu after the demand for a "correction" to the report and a penalty to the reporter were rejected, said Wu.

Then, Li summoned some 30 on-duty policemen who later raised Wu up and moved him violently from the fifth floor of the editing office and thrust him into a patrol car.

The policemen released Wu after more than an hour and left the newspaper office.

Wu, in his forties, got a number of skin traumas and suffered encopresis due to Li and his associates' assault.

Wu, a liver cancer patient who underwent liver transplant operation two years ago, was later diagnosed with abnormal liver function and slight liver injury by a local hospital.

Several hours after the event, Li was told to suspend his duty by the local government and police authorities, which jointly ordered to appease the situation and punish the responsible people after investigation.

Zhu pointed out that privilege, hegemonism, injustice in handling social affairs, negligence to the people's feelings and, resentful attitude toward media supervision still remained in the police staff.

The Taizhou government would continue to support proper media work and protect news reporters' legal rights, Zhu promised at the meeting.

Officials in charge of the provincial public security told Xinhua that they would take the lesson and instruct all police organs in various levels to improve their work and always be ready for public opinions.

Li's cahoots in the event are now waiting for punishment, Zhu announced.