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Beating street vendors won't bring 'Better City, Better Life'
By Jeanne Wu |
July 29, 2009, Wednesday
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Print Edition
IT is unfortunate that some of Shanghai's urban management officers (cheng guan) resort to violence from time to time in the rush to clean up and prettify city streets.
Five urban management employees are reported to have beaten a 28-year-old street vendor when they were clearing out unlicensed peddlers in Minhang District on July 11.
Peng Lin, a vendor who sold watermelons with his wife, is now in the intensive care unit at Huashan Hospital. He suffered a brain contusion and spinal injury, but is in a stable condition, Shanghai Daily reported on Monday.
Although the officers who used excessive force in those cases have been punished or are to be punished, the question remains how to bring such violent law enforcement to an end.
Unfortunately, after these incidents relevant government departments often distance and excuse themselves by claiming that the offenders are part-time employees without law enforcement certificates.
Why is it, therefore, that they are admitted into urban management teams?
As long as they work for the urban management department, that department is responsible for supervising their conduct to ensure it is lawful.
It is true that in some cases, unlicensed street vendors might resist confiscation of their goods and even resort to violence because street sales are their only means of livelihood. But this by no means serves as a reason for urban management officers to curb violence with violence.
Next year Shanghai will hold the World Expo themed "Better City, Better Life." A better city does not necessarily exclude street vendors.
Five urban management employees are reported to have beaten a 28-year-old street vendor when they were clearing out unlicensed peddlers in Minhang District on July 11.
Peng Lin, a vendor who sold watermelons with his wife, is now in the intensive care unit at Huashan Hospital. He suffered a brain contusion and spinal injury, but is in a stable condition, Shanghai Daily reported on Monday.
Although the officers who used excessive force in those cases have been punished or are to be punished, the question remains how to bring such violent law enforcement to an end.
Unfortunately, after these incidents relevant government departments often distance and excuse themselves by claiming that the offenders are part-time employees without law enforcement certificates.
Why is it, therefore, that they are admitted into urban management teams?
As long as they work for the urban management department, that department is responsible for supervising their conduct to ensure it is lawful.
It is true that in some cases, unlicensed street vendors might resist confiscation of their goods and even resort to violence because street sales are their only means of livelihood. But this by no means serves as a reason for urban management officers to curb violence with violence.
Next year Shanghai will hold the World Expo themed "Better City, Better Life." A better city does not necessarily exclude street vendors.
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