China Today: Corruption from Top to Bottom

3/5/2003

(Clearwisdom.net)

My ex-supervisor is a retired general. An official in the Beijing city council is from the same hometown as the general's. One day, the supervisor of the general's hometown came to Beijing and visited the official in the city council. They got together to socialize. During the meeting, the supervisor received a phone call. He suddenly said good-bye to everyone. He explained, "I received a phone call from the Tiananmen Police Department that some Falun Gong practitioners from my hometown came to Beijing to appeal and were arrested. I have to go quickly to send some money to the police officers; otherwise I will lose my black headgear." (Translator's note: the official wore black headgear. In modern times, headgear connotes rank)

He told us that the Beijing "610" Office issued an order that the top officer in any area would have to go to his supervisor to "examine himself" whenever Falun Gong practitioners from his area went to Beijing to appeal. If more than three practitioners went, the officer would be dismissed immediately. Since so many Falun Gong practitioners go to Beijing to appeal, in order to protect their black headgear, the officers from all areas have to go to the Tiananmen Police Department to bribe them. After giving the Tiananmen police 3,000 Yuan, the local officer can send the practitioner who went to appeal back home. Then the practitioner's coming to Beijing will not be reported to the central "610" office. To make up for the money they have to give to the Tiananmen police, they then take money from the practitioners.

The general said to the leader of the Beijing city committee, "The people in the villages don't have enough money for food, but have to send money to you. How come the Tiananmen Police Department is so corrupt!" The leader replied, "They have no choice. They need money for bonuses, and allowances. Where can they get the money if they don't get it from practitioners?" He continued, "It does not matter if the local government has money or not. If the practitioner that went to appeal doesn't give me money, I won't release him." All of the people present shook their heads in dismay when they heard this. The general sighed with emotion, "If we continue doing it this way, the country will die."