The Beijing municipal government on Thursday announced
punishment for officials responsible for the February 5 Lantern
Festival stampede in suburban Miyun County, which claimed 37
lives.
Xia Qiang, secretary of the Miyun County Committee of the
Communist Party of China (CPC), was given a disciplinary
warning.
The Beijing municipal government accepted the resignation of
Zhang Wen, head of the county and deputy secretary of the Miyun
County CPC committee.
Chen Xiaohong, also a deputy secretary of the county committee,
was dismissed from all Party posts.
Wang Chunlin, deputy head of Miyun County, was given a
disciplinary warning and a serious demerit record.
The cases of the two people believed to be directly responsible
for the tragedy have been transferred to the judicial
department.
Inadequate attention to safety was blamed for the accident.
The incident occurred at Mihong Park, where people were
celebrating Lantern Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the
first lunar month and is regarded as the last day of the lunar New
Year celebrations.
Rumors spread that the park was displaying fireworks and crowds
of people were trying to cross a steep bridge over a river, the
easiest way to get to the opposite bank, where some residents were
displaying fireworks.
One person stumbled on the bridge and others tripped. Many were
trampled or suffocated to death.
In related news, on Wednesday the State Council approved the
resignation of Ma Fucai, the ministerial-level head of China's
biggest state-owned oil company.
The action is ringing alarm bells with high-level cadres across
the country.
Ma, general manager of the China National Petroleum Corp. (CNPC), admitted his
negligence in safety measures that led to the December 23 gas
explosion at a well owned by a CNPC subsidiary in southwest China's
Chongqing
Municipality.
The explosion, the country's deadliest recent industrial
disaster, left 243 people dead from toxic fumes when a careless
drilling crew broke open a gas well and dismantled safety equipment
that might have prevented the incident.
"Though Ma was not found criminally responsible, he has
shouldered his political and moral responsibilities for the
accident through resignation. This will help the government to form
a strict system of accountability and urge cadres to take
responsibility for errors," said Du Gangjian, professor with the
National School of Administration.
Holding officials responsible for such events is new to a
Chinese public that has long been accustomed to seeing those at the
grassroots punished for negligence as higher government officials
stand by expressing concern and organizing rescue and
investigation.
In some cases, the negligence of these officials has indirectly
led to the accidents. However, it is difficult to force them to
take responsibility since they haven't broken any laws or
regulations, Du said.
"So Ma's resignation is not accidental. It can be traced to the
persistent severe penalties the government has taken against
officials guilty of negligence," said Du, noting the new central
leadership is striving to build a responsible image based on its
"people first" principle.
During the SARS crisis last spring, the government punished
nearly 1,000 officials, including former Minister of Health Zhang
Wenkang and former Mayor of Beijing Meng Xuenong, for hiding
epidemic information or responding inadequately to the
situation.
Wednesday's State Council executive meeting also called for
severe punishment of those responsible for a shopping mall fire in
northeast China's Jilin
Province, which killed 51 on February 15.
Immediately after the accidents, Premier Wen Jiabao urgently
ordered a thorough investigation into the causes, stern penalties
for the guilty parties, strict implementation of safety measures
and deep introspection on the lessons.
"The government is being more serious when handling accidents,
showing its resolution to intensify cadres' sense of duty and to
enhance administration according to law," said Professor Mao
Shoulong of the?Public Administration Department of the Renmin
University of China.
On Internet message boards, the approval of Ma's resignation is
drawing praise and close consideration.
"It has reminded officials and company leaders that they are
treading on eggshells and what 'burdens are heavier than mountains'
means to them. Hopefully they will really be responsible for
people's life and property safety," said a netizen nicknamed
"Withered Vine."
Jin Taijun, director of the administration department of Nanjing Normal
University, believes that the resignation holds far greater
significance than is immediately apparent. It functions as a form
of supervision over cadres to ensure their correct use of power.
This will help to improve the government's image and engender
public trust.
But experts also say it is necessary to institutionalize a
system of investigating and punishing officials. This will require
specific definition of their responsibilities and obligations as
well as clear operating procedures.
(Xinhua News Agency April 16, 2004)