Wuhan Police Challenge Media to Secretly Investigate Them

From NetEase:

Wuhan Public Security Bureau Division “Challenges” the Media: You’re Welcome to Secretly Investigate Us

Legal Evening News report — Recently, the conflict arising from Southern Metropolis Daily reporters secretly investigating Shenzhen Ministry of Public Security officials dining on Chinese giant salamander in a restaurant attracted the public’s attention. This afternoon [January 29th], the official microblog of one of Wuhan’s Public Security Bureau divisions published multiple photos of police officers sitting around in circles eating sweet potatoes and boxed meals, with captions “Southern Metropolis Daily, come quick! We’re about to dine!” and “Definitely using public funds, guaranteed to be wild, you’re welcome to come secretly investigate us!” Tonight, this microblog explained itself: “Stop [government officials] using public funds to wine and dine, but the public and private must be separated, as police are also people, who have basic rights, that no one may deprive them of!”

January 26, Southern Metropolis Daily published a report claiming that while their journalists were secretly investigating Ministry of Public Security government officials dining on giant salamander at a restaurant,the officials involved and the journalists clashed, resulting in the journalists being beaten and stripped of their mobile phones and cameras. Moreover, upon being notified, east Shenzhen police assisted the aggressors in leaving the premises.

In response to this, the Shenzhen Public Security Bureau issued a response on the 26th claiming that they have already suspended the 14 Ministry of Public Security police officers suspected of violating regulations, and have submitted themselves to investigation. An investigation has been opened against east Shenzhen Ministry of Public Security Police Chief Wang Yuanping. After the investigation has completed, the Shenzhen Public Security Bureau will report their findings in a timely manner. For several days, this incident has incited widespread discussion in the media and throughout the Public Security system.

This afternoon, the Wuhan Public Security Bureau Criminal Investigation Office Canine Unit’s official microblog “警犬旺财” posted eight photos of police officers sitting around gathered to eat boxed meals and sweet potatoes, with the officers in the photos pictured eating simple meals by the side of the road, next to mounds of snow, inside a park, and such places. The microblog also added the captions “Southern Metropolis Daily, come quick! We’re about to dine!” and “Definitely using public funds, guaranteed to be wild, you’re welcome to come secretly investigate us!”

Two different opinions appeared in the comments to this microblog post. Some netizens said to “upvote/like” such cautious and conscientious basic-level police officers who work hard serving the people, being extremely understanding of the hardships they endure. However, even more netizens expressed that combining/conflating the hardships of low-level officers with the extravagance of high-level officials was not appropriate.

At 7:24pm, this official microblog account made a response to this matter, saying “Stop [government officials] using public funds to wine and dine, but the public and private must be separated, as police are also people, who have basic rights, that no one may deprive them of!” At the same time, it also said: “We thank those who support us, while those who don’t support us also have the right to express themselves, so please do as you will!”

Comments from NetEase:

shkl19990 [网易山东省淄博市网友]：

Using front-line police officers as scapegoats, talk about not paying attention.

持砖观望 [网易广东省深圳市网友]：

Honestly, basic-level police really do have it very hard!

hellj [网易广东省韶关市网友]：

As a police officer, you cannot hold yourself to the standards of an ordinary common person. If you want to stress your basic rights, then return to being an ordinary common person. To be a police officer is to have a profession that is different from the ordinary common people, and it is your profession that holds you to standards different than that of an ordinary common person. You should understand this. If you don’t even understand this, then you are not fit to be a police officer.

围园的阿伯 [网易广东省网友]：

Assault is indeed wrong, but police officer are also people. A few thousand for a single meal. That’s something many people in Shenzhen can afford to eat. If they paid for it themselves [instead of using public funds], then what’s the problem?

lilan4921981 [网易河南省洛阳市网友]：

Don’t look at the fun and games now, be wary of accounts being settled in the future.

最烦脑残喷子 [网易陕西省西安市手机网友]：

This incident is actually as follows. I’m judging it as it stands. Everyone see if it’s right.
1. A retired older cop treated several old colleagues out to eat.
2. The giant salamander was farmed [raised in captivity, not wild].
3. Whether or not it was paid with private funds is currently being investigated. It was 190 yuan RMB per person.
4. To make headlines, the reporter had packaged [sensationalized] parts of the story, such as whether or not the title mentioned if it was wild or farmed, and whether it was one person or a group of people who assaulted him. This kind of news has already deviated from the original intention of reporting the news, with the reporter changing from being a third-party to a participant.
5. Assault is wrong. What lead to the assault/beating is not made clear.
6. Afterward, to quiet the reporter, even more extreme things were done, causing even more police to be unhappy.
Conclusion: Recorders of the news should objectively, truthfully, and accurately record news facts, show the truth, with the incident at the center. However, this incident started with the reporter investigating in a questionable way, or in other words, if you are not violating the rules, and are drinking and hanging out with your bros when suddenly someone comes saying this and that, what would you think?
Of course, assault is wrong. However, the assault, any violation of regulations, and the reporter’s integrity are three separate things.

网易陕西省宝鸡市岐山县手机网友 ip：113.201.*.*

First, every person is a natural person, and a person of society, and only afterward becomes someone who undertakes an occupation… When even private gatherings are uniformly prohibited, it is not wrong to say it is an overreaction/going too far.

网易安徽省淮南市手机网友 ip：112.123.*.*

Why is the public security system [police] seen as a bunch of people who wine and dine [on the public’s money] in the eyes of the ordinary common people? Do you [members of the system] not think about why? Always complaining when you’re tired [have things difficult]. You’re tired but are you not getting paid wages? If you weren’t being paid, would you still do the job? All day long blindly prattling. Look at sanitation workers. They’re all temporary workers, getting only so much money a month, doing what kind of work, The formal workers are all getting paid by the government and paying [a fraction to] these people. Bullshit social equality.

宰执 [网易贵州省毕节市手机网友]：

That’s cocky. Just don’t cry if you really are investigated. (T_T)

网易湖南省长沙市手机网友 ip：222.244.*.*

Stupid cunt government leaders only know how to block and censor media coverage. What does poor governing ability have to do with the media? A group of high officials in Shenzhen have a dinner gathering and misused police resources, which is indeed violating regulations, and they even beat up the undercover reporter. Is there any defense?