Newspaper crackdown draws government criticism
By Echo Shan (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2005-10-21 13:59

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.

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]

He was later released and the unruly officers are under investigation by government authorities.

Wu Xiang was grabbed by the cops all because of an October 19 report that chronicled the "unreasonable amount of money that had to be paid to apply for a license plate for electric bicycles" he said from a hospital, where he was treated briefly after being "released" by police after his colleagues interceded.

According to Wu, he was seriously attacked on the head and abdomen by out-of-control traffic police who had assembled 40-some officers cops and more than a dozen patrol cars at about 10 am October 20, the very next morning after the report appeared.

They are the officers who during duty hours are servants of people who normally direct cars and pedestrians.

The traffic police "raided" the Taizhou Evening Paper to demand for a retraction to the story and a formal apology, citing distortions of the truth in the report about the electric bicycle article.

Wu as the deputy editor in chief when the "police guests" arrived -- at first just two officers -- and gave them a detailed explanation that the report had been granted careful editing and nothing that skewed from truth was contained in it.

The discussion soon escalated into a brawl. The police officer allegedly slapped a desk in a violent rage. When Li Xiaoguo, director of the Shujiang District Traffic Police Unit in Taizhou, arrived, things got even worse, with bodies clashing. a witness surnamed Lin said.

Li hit Wu on the head with his brief case and in return was slapped by Wu on the face.

Li then retaliated, convening more than 40 of his subordinates who rushed to the scene. In a storm of fury he even shouted, "I am not a police officer today," said several witnesses to the incident.

The local government has responded firmly to the incident, issuing a bond for Li, who many not have forecast his destiny about no longer being a cop -- now and forever.

"It's totally wrong for police to do such a thing because it tarnishes the image of the law enforcement unit," said Chen Mianhan, director of Taizhou Police Bureau. The bureau has reported the incident to the Zhejiang Province Police Office, which will have a final say on any outcome or punishment in the case.

The Shujiang District is also convening its own internal investigation into the case.

"All police officers should learn a lesson from this," Wang Jianping, head of Shujiang District government.

"The news media are entitled to supervise the government," he explained, noting the fundamental rights of the press under the Chinese constitution.