Comment
Officials' 10 commandments should be taken seriously
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-12-04 11:28
The Internet has been lately abuzz with The 10 Commandments for Public Servants, coupled with real cases to illustrate each of the imperatives.
For example, the commandment "Don't smoke expensive cigarettes and wear a luxury watch" is illustrated by the case of Zhou Jiugen, the fallen housing chief of Jiangning district in Nanjing. And the commandment "Don't post a paper on the Internet" is represented by 29-year-old Zhou Senfeng, the youngest mayor in China, who has been accused of academic plagiarism. The commandment "Don't drive a luxury car" refers to the case of a chief prosecutor in Inner Mongolia. She became a public figure after Internet surfers circulated the photo of her Touareg SUV.
Other commandments include "Don't let others hold an umbrella for you", "Don't gawk at hot babes", and "Don't arrest Internet vigilantes."
Obviously, these are sarcasms intended to remind public servants they should be careful about what they do and say, and fulfill their responsibilities. Actually we can list more commandments for public servants.
The 10 Commandments for Public Servants all have corresponding Party disciplines and laws. Unfortunately, some of these disciplines and laws that should have been followed strictly are neglected or ignored. As a result, many officials have become the focal point of public criticism. They've either lost their jobs, or gone to jail, or are still enduring the ordeal of public condemnation.
With the emergence of Internet, citizens are more enthusiastic about public supervision while the social transparency of the officials has increased, whether officials like it or not. Some information about them that was not reported by media before may now be "discovered" on the Internet, and it can cause public interest. Some of their behaviors may now be scrutinized.
The public servants should not take the 10 commandments lightly. The Party and government departments should also pay due attention to the imperatives that were authored by Internet surfers based on real cases.
I wonder if government departments can also take the initiative to encourage public supervision for their own good? Can they also introduce greater transparency for civil service to make public servants behave in a more cautious and responsible way?
Xiao Yuhen
(Excerpts of a commentary that appeared on xinhuanet.com on Dec 3)
