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China: Officer dismissed for blogging

Categories: East Asia, China, Arts & Culture, Development, Digital Activism, Film, Freedom of Speech, Law, Literature, Photography, Technology

In China, there's more precedent for blogging getting people in trouble with the police [1] than there is for blogging in itself getting one getting fired [2]. So what happens to cops who blog? Check out Hubei-based Soho Xiaobao blogger Wu Youming [3]‘s most recent post, ‘Confessions of a canned cop [4]‘, dated March 16:

寓言

A Fable

有一个学校,里面的每个人都必须说谎话,这样才会得到老师的奖励。
说真话的孩子就要受到惩罚。

There was once a school, and everyone in it lied, this was the only way to earn rewards from the teacher.
Those kids who spoke the truth, were punished.

辞退通知书

Notice of dismissal

吴幼明:

Wu Youming:

根据《中华人民共和国人民警察法》第二十二条第十、第十二项和《公安机关人民警察辞退办法》第五条第五、第十四项的规定,经研究,你自既日起被辞退,可凭本通知书领取辞退费和到劳动就业部门登记申请就业。
黄石市公安局(公章)
二00七年三月十五日

In accordance with the ordinances in items 10 and 12 of article 22 of the Police Law of the People's Republic of China [5] and items 5 and 14 of article 5 in the Methods of Dismissal for Public Security Offices and People's Police, following an investigation, starting today you are hereby dismissed. This notice may be used to claim your termination dues and to register and apply at the Labor Bureau employment department to collect your unemployment insurance.
Huangshi [6] Public Security Bureau [7] (official seal)
March 15, 2007

附:

Attached:

《华人民共和国人民警察法》
第二十二条 人民警察不得有下列行为:
(十)从事营利性的经营活动或者受雇于任何个人或者组织;
(十二)其他违法乱纪的行为。

Police Law of the People's Republic of China
Article 22 People's Police shall not partake in the following behaviors:
(10) engage in profitable business activities or be gainfully employed by any individual or group;
(12) other behaviour and conduct in violation of the law.

《公安机关人民警察辞退办法》
第五条 人民警察有下列情形之一,错误比较严重又不宜给予行政开除处分的,应当予以辞退:
(五)从事营利性的经营活动或者受雇于个人、组织的;
(十四)有其他违法违纪行为的。

Methods of Dismissal for Public Security Offices and People's Police
Article 5 An officer of the People's Police who commits one of the following serious errors and not warranting the administrative punishment of expulsion, shall be dismissed:
(5) engage in profitable business activities or be gainfully employed by any individual or group;
(14) other behavior and conduct in violation of the law.

二00七年三月十六日上午8:20时,我被两位所领导带到西塞山区公安分局。我在分局政治处等到10:50时,政治处M主任通知我到会议室。进去了后,分局D政委和三名黄石市公安局政治部的三名工作人员也在里面。政治部的同志向我宣读了《辞退通知书》,我在文件上签名,他们将《辞退通知书》交给了我并告知我可以在30日之内到黄石市公安局申请行政复议。他们问我有什么说的,我说没有。我现场将警察证交给了M主任,和所领导回所收拾东西。中午我将所内的私人物品带走,警用物品移交给同事。同事们开车帮我将东西送回家。

At 8:20 on the morning of March 16, 2007, I was escorted into the Xisaishan District police station by two of its leaders. I waited in the station's Political Office until 10:50, when I was notified to proceed to the meeting room by Political Office Supervisor M. Upon entering, Station Comissioner D and three employees of the Huangshi Municipal Police Political Division were already inside. The Political Division comrade read to me the letter of dismissal, which I then signed. They handed me the letter of dismissal and informed me of my right to apply for an administrative reconsideration at the Huangshi Municipal Public Security Bureau within the following thirty days. They asked me what I had to say, and I said nothing. I then turned my police badge over to Director M, and with the station director cleared up some belongings. At noon I handed my police tools over to colleagues, and left with my personal belongings. My colleagues helped drive me home with my things.

我被黄石市公安局辞退,这是我早已预料到的结局。不是我神机妙算,而是在目前的体制下,敢于讲真话的人就要准备好付出代价。从我2006年1月5日晚开始在网络上发表《交警为什么都热爱罚款》、《罚款任务猛如虎》、《死人不销户,活人难上户》、《基层民警向两会进一言:政府行为中应该禁止截访行为》等文章以来,我就想到了今天的结果。到今天才辞退我,我不责怪任何领导,黄石市公安局对我已经很宽容了。好多网友曾担心我和家人的安全,请网友们放心,黄石市公安局不是黑社会,没有任何人用暴力或威胁对待我,我只不过是被辞退了。

That I would be dismissed by the Huangshi Municipal Public Security Bureau is a conclusion I've anticipated for some time. It's not that I planned for this to happen, but under the current system, people who dare to speak the truth must be prepared to pay the price. Since the evening of January 5, 2006 when I began to post such articles as “Why do traffic cops love handing out fines so much?”, “Handing out fines as enthusiastically as a tiger is fierce”, “The deceased don't sell their hukous, and the living can't get them”, “A word to the National People's Congress [8] from a grassroots police officer: barring petitioners should be a prohibited government behavior”, I've known that today would come. For my dismissal today, I blame no leaders; The Huangshi Municipal Public Security Bureau has already been very lenient on me. Many net friends were worried about my safety and that of my family's, and I'd like those friends to not worry. The Huangshi Municipal Public Security Bureau is not the mob, and not a single person has been violent or threatening to me. I've been dismissed and that's all.

在此,我要谢谢黄石市公安局里所有与我共事过的民警们,谢谢你们与我在十三年的警务工。作中同甘苦共患难,我永远也忘不了我们之间的兄弟情意!我也要谢谢黄石市公安局里的各位领导,我给你们添了很多麻烦,让你们费心了;谢谢你们对我的宽容和爱护,我无以为报,只能祝你们官运恒通。

Further, I'd like to thank all the People's Police with whom I worked at the Huangshi Municipal Public Security Bureau over the past thirteen years. We had hard times and good times, and I will never forget the affection we brothers had for each other! I would also like to thank all the leaders at the Huangshi Municipal Public Security Bureau. I've given you a lot of trouble; thank you for your tolerance and care; as I'm unable to repay it, I can only wish you the best luck in advancing in your careers.

吴幼明
2007/3/16
13177303030
Wuyouming0714@tom.com

Wu Youming
March 16, 2007
Cell phone: 13177303030
E-mail: Wuyouming0714@tom.com

All those posts Wu mentioned? When Soho Xiaobao started deleting them, he took screenshots and turned to his old friend, avant-garde artist and Sina.com blogger Ai Weiwei [9] who, in his March 14 post entitled ‘Deleted Posts [10]‘, wrote:

awwpic.jpg [10]

民警吴幼明贴在我的博客里的帖子,总是被新浪的网管删除,这真是够累的。新浪博客,也算是一个现代传媒,总该懂得不偏不倚,童叟无欺的商业常识。泱泱大国,无视宪法,私设审查制度,戏弄言论自由,其气量之小品质之猥亵,让人耻笑,一个提倡和谐,口口声声公平正义的社会,为啥不能光明磊落点。

The posts that People's Policeman Wu Youming puts on my blog keep getting deleted by the Sina [11]webmasters, it really is quite tiring. Sina Blog, as a modern media outlet, ought to understand how to be impartial and understand the common business sense of not cheating its clients. That a magnificent nation disregards its own constitution and maintains kangaroo censorship, mocks freedom of speech, its small tolerance of obscenity makes one sneer. For a society that calls for harmony [12], that speaks again and again of a fair and just society, why can't there be a little more openness?

Youming's not your stereotypical Chinese cop, judging from his resume, which he posted on February 27 [13], along with all the information he provided on his application—as Chinese police may exit the country only once a year—for special leave to travel to Germany to take part in his friend Ai Weiwei's art exhibit, Fairytale [14]:

1974年生于湖北省黄石市
1991-1994年在黄石市两湖管理处工作
1994-1996年5月在黄石市公安局巡警支队一大队工作
1996-1999年9月在黄石市公安局下陆区公安分局肖铺乡派出所、老下陆派出所工作
1999-2005年12月在黄石市公安局交警支队一大队、二大队、交通秩序管理科工作
2005年12月至今在黄石市公安局西塞山区公安分局西塞派出所工作

1974 Born in Huangshi City, Hubei Province [15]
1991-1994 Worked at Huangshi Lianghu Municipality Management Office
1994-May 1996 Worked in the 1st brigade of the Huangshi Public Security Bureau police detachment
1996-Sept. 1999 Worked in the Xiaopu Village and old Xialu police stations in Xialu district, Huangshi PSB
1999-Dec. 2005 Worked in the 1st and 2nd brigade and traffic order management section of the Huangshi PSB traffic police detachment
Dec. 2005-today Worked in a Xisaishan police station in Xisaishan District, Huangshi PSB

The illegal behavior in which Wu was engaged was the self-publishing of his own literature magazine, Foam, which he had paid for himself for over six years and distributed via post all across the country. On top of losing his job, he was fined 20,000 RMB [just over USD 2,500], nearly a year's worth of his previous salary [16] [zh].

More from Wu's resume:

2000年创办文学民刊《水沫》(至今己出11期,另有特刊3期。)
2001年主演独立电影《黄石大道》(彩色故事片,47分钟),导演卫铁,北京电影学院
2002年接受拍摄纪录片《水沫·人》(彩色/19分钟),导演桂冠,中央戏剧学院,此片获第八届大学生电影节最佳纪实奖,并曾在凤凰卫视播出
2002年受《我爱摇滚乐》杂志之邀,在杂志上开设《水沫插页》专栏(从11期—28期,2002—2004年)
2004年以文学策划和演员身分参与拍摄独立电影《东风破》(黑白故事片,22分钟),导演卫铁,北京电影学院
2005年接受拍摄专题片《生活在别处》(彩色/10分钟),导演苗毅、舒明柳,黄石电视台,此片曾在黄石电视台纪实栏目播出
2006年因在网络上发表《交警为什么热爱罚款》、《罚款任务猛如虎》、《死人不销户,活人难上户》等文字被《我爱摇滚乐》杂志评为2006年度网络人物。

2000 Created people's publication, the literature magazine Foam (with eleven previously published issues, and three special editions).
2001 Lead actor in the indy film ‘Huangshi Avenue‘ (color story film, 47 mins., directed by Wei Tie [17], Beijing Film Academy [18])
2002 Agreed to film the documentary ‘Foam People‘ (color/19 mins.), directed by Gui Guan, Central Academy of Drama [19], winner of best documentary at the 8th Annual University Student Film Festival, and was broadcast on Phoenix TV [20]
2002 At the invitation of ‘I Love Rock ‘N Roll‘ magazine, penned the Foam Feature column (issues 11-28, 2002-2004)
2004 Literature planner and actor in the filming of the indy film ‘The East is Broken‘ (black and white, 22 mins.), directed by Wei Tie, Beijing Film Academy
2005 appeared in the feature film ‘There is No Life Here‘ (color/10 mins.), directed by Miao Yi and Shu Mingliu for Huangshi Television. This film was shown on the Huangshi TV program On The Spot.
2006 Chosen as Internet Personality of the Year by ‘I Love Rock ‘N Roll‘ magazine for articles published on the internet, “Why Do Traffic Cops Love Handing Out Fines So Much?”, “Handing Out Fines As Enthusiastically As The Tiger Is Fierce”, “The Deceased Don't Sell Their Hukous, and The Living Can't Get Them”.

曾在《大家》、《小说界》、《天涯》、《滇池》、《视觉21》、《新大陆》、《全景》、《撒娇》、《南方周末》、《萧湘晨报》、《法制日报》内参、《派出所工作》等刊物上发表过小说、诗歌、评论等文字。有访谈刊于吴文光主编《现场3》、《南都周刊》、《大江商报》、《萧湘晨报》,观念作品刊于李文主编《观念摄影》、诗歌评论刊于李少君主编《莽汉·撒娇李亚伟·默默诗选》等书籍。

Novels, poems and commentary published in such magazines as ‘Everybody‘, ‘Fiction World‘, ‘Edges of the Earth‘, ‘Dian Chi‘, ‘Vision21‘, ‘New Mainland‘, ‘Panorama‘, ‘Pride‘, ‘Southern Weekend‘, ‘Xiaoxiang Morning Post‘, ‘Legal Daily‘ and ‘Police Station‘. Interviews with editor Wu Wenguang [21] for ‘Scene3‘, ‘Southern Metropolis Weekly‘, 'Dajiang Business News', ‘Xiaoxiang Morning Post‘, memorial works for editor Li Wen at ‘Concept Photography‘ and in a poetry review edited by Li Shaojun.

Looking back over some of Youming's posts, he used his blog partly as an extension of his police duties, sometimes writing letters to local and national leaders [22] on behalf of local residents he's come know, often posting pictures of their lives [23] and sometimes even bringing light to their plights [24], like that of bookshop owner Yuan Maoling, who along with all the other residents of one building on Huangshi Wuhan Rd, were evicted to make way for the development of new high-rise apartment buildings. When construction stopped for the Chinese New Year last month, Yuan and his wife started selling books among the rubble, only to have them all confiscated by the city.

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Here are some before and after pictures of the building on Huangshi Wuhan Road, taken by Wu Youming and his wife, Zhou Li [25]:

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