As China starts a campaign to "sweep gang crimes" to further consolidate the Party's ruling foundation, experts said that it is commendable that human rights and the judicial process are highlighted in the toughest-ever efforts in the country.
The campaign will focus on industries and areas involved in gang or organized crimes that prompt the "strongest public reaction" and that which is "detested" by the people, said a document released by the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council on Wednesday.
It aims to safeguard social stability and people's lives, and to further consolidate the Party's ruling foundation, the document said.
Compared with previous campaigns to "fight gang crimes," the new campaign will involve stronger Party and government support and target a wider range of crimes and misbehavior, experts said.
Nearly 30 government departments will join the campaign, compared to only 10 in previous ones, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
"With years of efforts against crimes, China enjoys a sound security situation. However, gang crimes still threaten local governance and normal economic affairs, Gan Chaoying, a law professor at Peking University, told the Global Times on Thursday.
Politically, some gangs control grass-root elections in some regions, while some local governments dare not, or fail to stop, such misbehavior, which directly threatens local governance and hinders anti-corruption efforts, Gan added.
The document said that disciplinary agencies and political and legal bureaus should identify and tackle the root of gang crimes. Disciplinary agencies at all levels should deal with "protective umbrellas" and investigate no matter who is involved, it said.
Some local government officials have shied away for, or even cultivated, gangs to maintain their influence and interests, which severely affects normal political and business order and undermines people's trust in the Party and government, Gan added.
Meanwhile, the crimes have shifted from the traditional mining and construction industries to transportation and the internet, such as illegal activities on online platforms, Zhi Zhenfeng, a legal expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Thursday.
The document also stressed that forced confessions should be banned to avoid wrong convictions.
Law enforcement agencies have also been warned to strictly follow the protocols and procedures of investigation and prosecution, especially in questioning suspects, Xinhua reported Wednesday.
It shows that decision-makers and law enforcement officers agree on protecting the rights of suspects and insisting on procedural justice, Zhi said.
The Wednesday document is also a warning against harsh investigation and conviction at the local level, and aims to avoid bringing new problems to law enforcement as the drive moves on, he added.
