Is it absurd?

Is it absurd?
Mar 12, 2008 02:14
JIMMYB Points: Join Date: Feb 7, 2007 Status: offline	Source: Financial Times. AWARD FOR CHINESE OFFICIAL AFTER DRINK TRAGEDY By Jamil Anderlini in Beijing Wednesday, March 12, 2008 A Chinese official who drank himself to death has been named an “outstanding communist”, even though the city where he worked is the focus of a campaign against government employee alcohol abuse, state media reported yesterday. Guo Shizhong, 45, director of a district family planning bureau in Xinyang City, died of a brain haemorrhage after drinking himself into a stupor and collapsing in a karaoke bar in the city, according to medical reports from the ambulance and hospital that treated him, a person who has seen the reports told the Financial Times. Guo was posthumously awarded a “level-three order of merit” and named an “outstanding communist” by the government in Xinyang in the central Chinese province of Henan. The award entitles his family to continue receiving 10 per cent of his government salary. Chinese leaders have repeatedly warned that official corruption poses a threat to the Communist party and Beijing has launched numerous anti- corruption drives in recent years. But these often go nowhere after reaching the local level, where officials traditionally spend many hours wining and dining with each other and businessmen seeking favours. Xinyang, a municipality of nearly 8m people, is the focus of a widely publicised anti-corruption campaign targeting officials who drink at lunchtime. Government coffers are overflowing even as income disparity worsens across the country and overt displays of largesse by party officials are a common source of discontent. The Xinyang campaign to stamp out the common practice of liquor-soaked lunches paid for with state funds began a year ago when a taskforce was set up to perform random breath tests on officials, and reporters were invited to watch as some offenders were fired on the spot. Officials quoted in state media said 269 party officials had been punished so far and an estimated Rmb43m ($6m, €4m, £3m) in state funds saved so far. More than half a dozen other cities have adopted the policy and alcohol distributors in the region complain this has led to a drop of as much as 30 per cent in sales.

Mar 12, 2008 02:14

JIMMYB
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Join Date: Feb 7, 2007
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Source: Financial Times.

AWARD FOR CHINESE OFFICIAL AFTER DRINK TRAGEDY

By Jamil Anderlini in Beijing
Wednesday, March 12, 2008

A Chinese official who drank himself to death has been named an “outstanding communist”, even though the city where he worked is the focus of a campaign against government employee alcohol abuse, state media reported yesterday.

Guo Shizhong, 45, director of a district family planning bureau in Xinyang City, died of a brain haemorrhage after drinking himself into a stupor and collapsing in a karaoke bar in the city, according to medical reports from the ambulance and hospital that treated him, a person who has seen the reports told the Financial Times.

Guo was posthumously awarded a “level-three order of merit” and named an “outstanding communist” by the government in Xinyang in the central Chinese province of Henan.

The award entitles his family to continue receiving 10 per cent of his government salary. Chinese leaders have repeatedly warned that official corruption poses a threat to the Communist party and Beijing has launched numerous anti- corruption drives in recent years. But these often go nowhere after reaching the local level, where officials traditionally spend
many hours wining and dining with each other and businessmen seeking favours.

Xinyang, a municipality of nearly 8m people, is the focus of a widely publicised anti-corruption campaign targeting officials who drink at lunchtime.

Government coffers are overflowing even as income disparity worsens across the country and overt displays of largesse by party officials are a common source of discontent.

The Xinyang campaign to stamp out the common practice of liquor-soaked lunches paid for with state funds began a year ago when a taskforce was set up to perform random breath tests on officials, and reporters were invited to watch as some offenders were fired on the spot.

Officials quoted in state media said 269 party officials had been punished so far and an estimated Rmb43m ($6m, €4m, £3m) in state funds saved so far.

More than half a dozen other cities have adopted the policy and alcohol distributors in the region complain this has led to a drop of as much as 30 per cent in sales.

Mar 12, 2008 02:14

JIMMYB
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Join Date: Feb 7, 2007
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“The government ban on civil servants drinking at lunchtime has had a huge impact on my business,” said Shao Li, a liquor retailer and wholesaler in Xinyang. “Many in the liquor wholesale business have had to quit.”

On the night of February 26, Guo was invited to dinner at a restaurant by other officials. After the meal the group went upstairs to a karaoke bar and hired hostesses to accompany them, according to the Orient Today, a
state-controlled newspaper based in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan province. The report quoted bar hostesses as saying that Guo was a regular customer. They said that he passed out drunk on a sofa and his companions later called an ambulance when they realised he had stopped breathing.

To supplement: The local government held a funeral ceremony for Guo and about 400 officials attended Guo's funeral ceremony. What's more, the local government call on all officials to learn from Guo.

After reading the report, o you have anything to say?

Photo source: china.com.cn.

How absurd it is!

Mar 12, 2008 19:21	#2
SHESGOTTOBE Points: Join Date: Nov 23, 2007 Status: Offline	The government will award anyone it thinks has to get an award. Let’s see if there is a brave one who will dare to complain. 45, too young to die.

Mar 13, 2008 23:16	#3
BBQQ Points: Join Date: Feb 7, 2007 Status: Offline	It is absurd. Should we learn from him to drink ourselves to death? "45, too young to die." Personally, I think that he derserves this.

Mar 14, 2008 03:58	#4
DESTRUCKDOZ Points: Join Date: Sep 30, 2007 Status: Offline	Thats nuts, liquor allowed during work hours.

Mar 14, 2008 20:51

ICEBERG
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Join Date: Sep 10, 2007
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Agree with BBQQ. He deserves it. The local government has been launching the campaign for one year. However, this guy goes to KTV and drinks frequently. More surprising is that he is never punished. Is the campaign just a show to the public? After his death, he is awarded as a “level-three order of merit” and named an “outstanding communist” by the government. Really absurd. Why should we set an alcoholic as an example and call on others to learn from him?

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