To "bring to justice" those who set off firecrackers is to make fun of the rule of law

Network diagram

On February 16, the first day of the Lunar New Year, a hunting "announcement" for the "Shuangfeng County Fire Ban Leading Group Chengxi Law Enforcement Group" attracted attention. The announcement said that a man and a woman in Shuangfeng County (Hunan) set off firecrackers in the outer plain of the community at 00:08 a.m. on February 16, and were ordered by the main leaders of the county party committee, and the local public security organs set up a bonus of 10,000 yuan to pursue them.

The announcement caused great controversy. If you set off a firecracker, you will be hunted by a reward, which is really contrary to common sense and the rule of law. Under the pressure of public opinion, shuangfeng County responded on February 18 that the announcement did not go through the relevant review and approval procedures, did not have the approval of the county fire ban work leading group and its office, and many of the language was inappropriate, causing adverse effects. At present, the announcement has been withdrawn and the relevant responsible personnel have been criticized and educated, but "the adverse effects are still there, and the lessons are very profound."

The lessons are profound, and indeed they are. This public opinion storm triggered by a reward announcement is an important lesson in reflecting on the way grassroots governance is done in some places.

Fireworks and firecrackers in urban areas can cause noise and air pollution, and may even cause fire hazards, which is basic common sense that everyone will recognize. Therefore, Twin Peaks County said that after publicity and persuasion, "the vast majority of the masses expressed understanding, recognition and support", which is not necessarily not the truth.

The problem is that "doing things for the people" is not a reason to act willfully.

Even if the decision to ban fire is approved by public opinion, it does not mean that all fire ban measures can be approved by the people. If the people of Twin Peaks knew in advance that supporting the ban on fire meant supporting a bounty to hunt down those who set off firecrackers, how many more would support it?

More importantly, even with the full support of local public opinion, local governments must be bound by a rule of law framework and decision-making process.

The bounty announcement refers to the firecracker-setters as "outlaws" and claims to "bring them to justice." However, this announcement lacks the awareness of the rule of law.

In our country, the legislature is the people's congress, and the national people's congress and the local congresses at or above the municipal level may adopt national laws and local regulations. Twin Peaks County has no right to enact laws, nor does it have the right to interpret them at will. Violating the regulations of Shuangfeng County on the prohibition of combustion is not the same as violating the law, and the so-called "public security organs filing and investigating the case" and the reward for hunting down are all inappropriate.

If Twin Peaks tries to "deter" the people in this way, it is even more absurd. Because "ruling for the people" means that everyone cannot be regarded as a potential lawbreaker, let alone a firecracker is not even illegal. The frequent use of heavy punches and iron fists against ordinary people who have committed no evil deeds in a few places can only show that power lacks restraint.

The announcement's process further shows the confusion in the local government's work process. The announcement said that "the main leaders of the county party committee have given instructions", but yu Min, secretary of the Shuangfeng County Party Committee, told the media afterwards that he did not have instructions. Whether there are any other leaders' instructions, but it is not known. Now Shuangfeng County also said that the announcement "has not been approved by the county fire ban work leading group and its office", whether this is the truth or the pot, there are still doubts.

Twin Peaks County acknowledges that "the leading group has management responsibilities", so we hope that the aftermath of this matter can be carried out under the sun, and who the "relevant responsible personnel" are, it is clear. Whether criticism education is sufficient should also be made clear to solve the people's confusion.

Text | West Slope