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)