Or so my favorite newspaper tells us.
China’s top legislators are considering reducing police powers to detain suspects in order to safeguard citizens’ rights. The proposal was put forward by the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee as part of a draft law dealing with minor public order offences….
Under the new draft, the police power to detain suspects for 36 hours and keep them in jail for 30 days, would be cut to a maximum of 12 hours detention and 20 days in jail respectively.
I guess 20 days in a Chinese dungeon is better than 30. What I have to wonder is, how do you enforce restrictions on police in a police state? Who holds them to account?
I also enjoy the part where an official blandly remarks, in classic China Daily-ese, “Although most police officers fulfil their duties, there is some corruption among public security workers,” he said. Yeah, just a little; ask Sun Zhigang.
Via China Digital Times.
1
By Gordon
You know how it works, Richard.
All pigs are equal, but some pigs are more equal. 🙂
June 28, 2005 @ 8:55 pm | Comment
2
By Gordon
oh..no pun intended.
I was refering to Animal Farm, not American slang for the world ‘Police Officer’…but hey..if the shoe fits..
June 28, 2005 @ 8:56 pm | Comment
3
By richard
Four legs good, two legs better….
June 28, 2005 @ 9:13 pm | Comment
4
By pete
A few years ago I witnesses a bizarre police street apprehension. I saw a man running and then an officer running after him, catching up and in a scuffle the guy goes down and the officer starts kicking the down man. Then the officer’s attention was diverted by a cell phone call, so the man gets up and scurries away. Never to be seen again. If that is not incompetence!
June 28, 2005 @ 10:11 pm | Comment
5
By James
Has anyone had direct experience with police shakedowns/bribery? One of my old students was arrested for stealing another student’s mobile phone – idiot kept the same SIM card and used it to call his girlfriend in Guangzhou – and the Beijing police were demanding Y40’000 from his parents not to have him sent to jail for a year …
June 28, 2005 @ 10:22 pm | Comment
6
By pete
If there police are serious it maybe an offer they can’t refuse.
It probably is not called a shakedown, but a gift to a benevolent society.
Seriously, your student should contact a lawyer in BJ to see what he really faces if he goes to trial versus the gift. He should seek no record and no time.
June 28, 2005 @ 11:48 pm | Comment
7
By pete
Should be above, “If the police…”
June 28, 2005 @ 11:49 pm | Comment