China to Reform, Not Scrap Forced Labor Camps, Xinhua Says
China to Reform, Not Scrap Forced Labor Camps, Xinhua Says - Taipei Times
China will reform its controversial system of forced labor camps this year, state media reported yesterday, which would mark a first step toward legal reform promised by new Chinese Communist Party General Secretary and Vice President Xi Jinping (習近平).
China’s “re-education through labor” system, in place since 1957, empowers police to sentence petty criminals to up to four years’ confinement without going through the courts, a system that critics say undermines the rule of law and is used against political activists.
The announcement by Xinhua news agency contradicted earlier media reports that cited Chinese Minister of Public Security Meng Jianzhu (孟建柱) as saying China would scrap the system. Those reports were removed from media Web sites without an explanation.
“The Chinese government will this year push the reform of its controversial re-education through labor system, according to a national political and legal work conference on Monday,” Xinhua reported.
State broadcaster CCTV had said earlier on its microblog site, citing the party’s newly appointed Political and Legal Affairs Committee head, Meng, as saying: “Use of the re-education through labor system will end this year, after approval from the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.”
The Ministry of Justice did not respond to a faxed inquiry from reporters.