Chinese lawmakers who are in Beijing for the top legislature's
annual session have slashed the "Pengshui poem scandal" which
resulted in the arrest of a civil servant due to a satirical poem
mocking local officials last year, saying it humiliates justice and
the nation's move to build a harmonious society.
"It is a crud infringement on the freedom of speech and
humiliates our move to build a harmonious society and a society
governed by law," Chen Zhonglin, dean of Southwest University of
Political Science and Law, said Sunday.
Chen came to Beijing for the Fifth Session of the Tenth National
People's Congress (NPC), the national legislature, which is
scheduled to start Monday.
Qin Zhongfei, a civil servant in Pengshui County of Chongqing,
was arrested last September for sending a satirical poem poking fun
at three local leading officials to several friends by text message
and e-mail.
Qin's suffering caused a furor on the Internet and sparked
nationwide criticism, which led to the release of him four weeks
later.
The case was dubbed as "Pengshui poem scandal" and has been a
hot topic in China since then.
Chen Zhonglin, an NPC deputy, questioned the role of local
procuratorial, judicial and public security organizations.
Pengshui police boss Zhou Mingguang compared the police as "the
son of government," saying "how could we ignore this when our
father is beaten?"
According to the law, the leaders of government and Communist
Party shall not intervene in the freedom of justice. The
procuratorial and judicial officials are appointed by and only
accountable to the local people's congress, Chen said.
Liu Minghua, another NPC deputy, said that leading figures from
the police, procuratorate and court in Pengshui sit together with
government and Party officials to discuss how to deal with the case
of Qin Zhongfei. They should have implemented their functions
independently, Liu said.
(Xinhua News Agency March 4, 2007)