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1. Man Beats and Injures Another
Flees in Car but is Ultimately Caught
Reporter Kong Defang, Correspondent Deng Dakuan, Dispatch to the Evening News
When someone calls it to your attention that you've stopped your car in a way that's blocking the road, you of course just move the car a little so there's no problem. But Liuzhou resident Yang X thought the guy should mind his own business. He not only responded with foul language, he socked the man and injured him. Yesterday, Yang X was under police supervision because of the assault.
Just after 10:00 a.m. yesterday Yang X drove his new sedan to a repair shop in Motan Village to get the windows tinted. He parked the car at the door of the shop. There was a lot of traffic in the area because the shop is located at the village intersection. A resident of the village, Mr. Tan, saw this and suggested that he should move his car a bit. Yang X thought Mr. Tan was being a busybody and started arguing with him.
During the intense argument, Yang X picked up a stick. He chased after and beat Mr. Tan. When he saw that Mr. Tan's back and arm were swollen from the beating, Yang X got in his car and drove off. Mr. Tan thereupon called the police. Luckily Mr. Tan's cousin was riding his motorbike past the place. When he learned what had happened, he immediately followed after Yang X on his motorbike. Officers at the West Ring Police Affairs Station had received the report and maintained contact with Mr. Tan's cousin. Finally they took Yang X into custody at the LiuGong Machinery Co. workers residential area on Liutai Road as he was getting ready to change cars. "He swore at me, and I got so mad I couldn't stand it. That's when I hit him!" Yang X said he hadn't parked his car well because he was in a hurry, but he wasn't blocking the road very much. As of this writing Mr. Tan has gone to a hospital for an examination, and Yang X has been turned over to the Goose Mountain Police Precinct for processing.
Liuzhou Evening News, 2012-11-27
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2. Two Liuzhou Thieves Futilely Attempt to Save Selves by Bribing Traffic Cop
Two criminals who had stolen electric scooters encountered a traffic check-point on a section of road as they were making their getaway. They thought they could escape this stage by bribing the police, but before they knew it, the police had beaten them at their own game. In the end the two criminals were arrested, and they have now been transferred to the local Public Security Station by the traffic police.
At 11 p.m. on the 24th, Officer Ge from the Guangxi Traffic Patrol, Second Highway Brigade, was on duty at the Liuzhou East Fee Collection Station when a suspicious-looking Wuling minivan came driving toward the exit. Upon noticing that there was a traffic check-point ahead it hesitated, stopping and starting as though checking out the surrounding area. This activity attracted the officer's attention and he immediately came forward to stop it for inspection.
The crafty driver strenuously denied doing anything wrong. He attempted to exculpate himself with a story that he was "just helping someone make a delivery and didn't know the e-bikes were stolen." He wouldn't cooperate any further with the officer's investigation and sought to impede him from impounding the e-bikes. Seeing that the officer wouldn't give, he suggested giving him an "out of court fee" of 1,000 Yuan (≈$160) to entice the officer to let them go this time.
Under these circumstances, the officer simply turned the tables on him. On the one hand, to calm the two men down and get them to relax their guard, the officer pretended to be interested in the proposed "out of court" fee; and on the other he reported what was happening to the Brigade Captain and leaders. Guangxi Second Highway Brigade Traffic Patrol Captain Nong Jian instructed the officer, first, to secure the scene and prevent the suspects from leaving the vehicles behind and escaping; and second, to immediately contact East Liuzhou Public Security to send officers for a joint law enforcement team. After everything was arranged, the officer at the scene casually engaged the driver and his accomplice in idle conversation. When the Public Security officers arrived on the scene, they quickly took the two men into custody and brought them to the Public Security Station.
Subsequently officers found on the person of one of the men: a "twister" used specially for stealing e-bikes, as well as a wrench and other tools used in the crime and a large knife with an ox-horn handle. Currently the case has been handed over to East Liuzhou Public Security for further investigation.
Liuzhou Online, 2012-12-26
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3. Some Luzhai Busses on Way to Fair Overloaded
Traffic Police Focus on Corrective Punishment
Drunk driving, speeding, overloading and other behaviors that violate laws and regulations have been called "murderers on the road", and tragedies sometimes occur because of them. Yesterday officers from the … Traffic Division investigated and confiscated two overloaded busses, each of which was carrying more than twice the vehicle load limit.
At about 8:10 in the morning that day, a blue minibus en route … to Luorong … was stopped … by officers…. At the time there were 39 people inside, including the driver, and the load limit was 19 people. On the law enforcement video recorded by the traffic officers, your reporter saw that there were people of all ages in the vehicle. Aside from the 19 people fully occupying the fixed seating, four more were sitting on the engine cover, and the rest were packed on unauthorized benches that the vehicle's owner had welded along both sides.
At about 9:00 in the morning, another minibus was investigated and confiscated…. This vehicle's load limit was 16 people, but it was actually carrying 33. After stopping the two overloaded busses, traffic officers transferred the overloaded passengers to other vehicles in timely fashion, and drove the two vehicles to the Luorong [police depot] and parked them there.
On the blue minibus one could see that a "bench" had been made on vehicle's engine cover by nailing together six wooden planks of different widths. One could also see several small wooden stools and one long bench under the fixed seats and in the aisle. These were the "seats" that had been independently added to the vehicle.
Minibus driver Yu X said that passengers were relatively numerous that day because they were in a hurry to get to the opening day of a market fair. Those who couldn't sit had to stand, just like on a public bus. Traffic officers indicated that they had fined the two minibuses [sic] 2,000 Yuan [≈$320] and recorded 12 points. [Fifteen points in less than two years my result in suspension of driving privileges for up to three months.]
Although the passenger flow was greater that day because of people going to the fair, the busses should not have been willing to put the safety of others at risk for the sake of their own personal gain. In the fight against relatively severe overloading to rush to market, the traffic control department discovered many illegal and proscribed phenomena and focused on developing corrective punishment.
Liuzhou Online, 2012-11-23
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4. Didn't Like Dinner, Smashes Up Household
Officers Control Man and Escort Him to Hospital
Reporter Kong Defang, Correspondent Deng Dakuan, Dispatch to the Evening News
In a fit of pique Young Liu, who has a history of mental illness, smashed all his family's things just because dinner wasn't to his liking. Officers arrived on the scene at once and got him under control, then escorted him to a mental hospital for treatment.
On the evening of the 25th a Mr. Liu, who lives on Goose Mountain Road, called the police saying that his son was having a relapse and was hysterically smashing things in their home. He had even broken the doors and windows. Officers immediately rushed to the scene and saw that Mr. Liu's home was in complete disarray. Young Liu, who is 20-plus years old, had a stick in his hand and was quarreling with the neighbors. Curiously enough, as soon as he saw the police young Liu peacefully withdrew to his family's front room and sat down.
Mr. Liu told the officers that his son had worked for a construction company a few years ago. Because of a head injury, over the last couple of years he had developed a bit of schizophrenia. His condition was stable if he took medication to control it, but he had refused to take his meds for several days and had become somewhat irritable. That evening, dinner didn't seem appetizing to his son and he had begun to get angry and quarrel with his parents. Mr. Liu felt his son was being unreasonable and looking for a fight, so he chewed the boy out. He was surprised when his son unexpectedly started smashing things in their home. He wouldn't stop no matter who told him to. Mr. Liu had no choice but to call 110 [the police hotline] and make a report.
Seeing that young Liu was rather respectful toward the officers, they approached him slowly and reasoned with him. While he had been jittery and disturbed, young Liu settled down when faced with the police. Worried that his condition might flare up again in the middle of the night, the officers escorted young Liu to the Guangxi Brain Hospital for treatment.
Liuzhou Evening News, 2012-11-27
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5. Envy, Jealousy & Hate Re Neighbor's Business Fortune
Two "Brothers" Have Words, Start Fighting
Reporter Li Jietong, Correspondent Yang Qiwen, Dispatch to the Evening News
Using "envy, jealousy and hate" to describe Mr. Tan's state of mind yesterday morning is absolutely appropriate – his "neighbor" Young Zhang's business was red hot, but his own business was dead as a doornail. Seeing the neighbor happy made him feel bad and he didn't have anything nice to say about the guy. The two got into a fight about this, with some pushing back and forth. Mr. Tan then picked up a brick and smashed Zhang's skull.
Mr. Tan and Young Zhang were "neighbors" for several years in a fantastic stones market [see here] on Academy Road. They each sold rocks which they displayed on blankets spread out on the ground. For some reason Zhang's business was especially good that morning, while nobody showed any interest in Mr. Tan's display. "Well, isn't your business going good this morning!" he said to Zhang with envy in his voice. Zhang responded with a laugh, his face glowing. Zhang's smile made Mr. Tan more jealous. "What are you laughing at? Business over here is ice cold!" Mr. Tan followed that comment with a foul-mouthed curse. Zhang had been in a pretty good mood, but when he heard Mr. Tan talking like that, his attitude turned nasty as well. "What *** business is it of yours whether I'm making sales or not!"
This caused the two to start arguing, and then pushing and shoving each other. In the confusion Mr. Tan hit Zhang with a brick he'd picked up off the ground, smashing the left side of his forehead and causing an incessant flow of blood.
Officers from the Sunlight Police Affairs Station rushed to the scene to mediate. Mr. Tan claimed that things happened fast after the fight started. He's a lot older than Zhang and was afraid he'd be at a physical disadvantage, so he figured "offense is the best defense." The offers came to understand that the two men had been in business in the same place for several years. They normally got along alright, often drinking together and calling each other "brother." Therefore the officers proceeded patiently to reconcile the two. After mediation Zhang indicated that the officers needn't look further into Mr. Tan's impetuous behavior, and Mr. Tan immediately took the bloodied Zhang to the hospital for treatment.
Liuzhou Evening News, 2012-11-27
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6. 540 Million Netizens, One Billion Cell Phone Users in China
Net Safety Depends on "Escort" by Legal System
The most recent data reveals that there are 540 million netizens and more than one billion cell phone users in our country. We have become a huge platform for the internet. Although the platform is referred to as virtual space, it is a natural extension of real-world society and an organic component of real life. Because of this, a robust legal system and effective supervision are needed as well.
With the increasingly rapid development of the internet, the problem of current laws and regulations being mutually incompatible with actual needs is also becoming more and more conspicuous. There is an urgent need to make the internet regulatory system more robust and coordinated, to achieve internet management in accordance with law, internet operation in accordance with law and internet access in accordance with law.
Internet management in accordance with law is a convention in general use internationally.
At present nearly one hundred countries and territories world-wide have already formulated laws for the protection of personal information, and have also set up specialized administrative organizations. Internet safety depends on the legal system's "escort ships." Internet health, orderliness and rapid development can be achieved only by clarifying what the law protects and what it prohibits, and clarifying the rights and obligations of each and every participating entity.
Liuzhou Evening News, 2012-12-24
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7. Wanted Marriage License but Was "Already Married"
Local Girl Miss Liang Files Lawsuit, Court Revokes Erroneous Marriage License
Reporter Li Lan, Correspondent He Jing, Dispatch to the Evening News
Local girl Miss Liang was getting ready to walk down the aisle, but when she and her fiancé went to get a marriage license at the Civil Affairs Bureau in a certain county, she was told that she had previously registered a marriage with another man at the Civil Affairs Bureau in a certain city and was "already married." In a snit, the "married" Miss Liang took that city's Civil Affairs Bureau to court to have the inexplicable marriage license revoked.
August 14, 2012, should have been a blessedly sweet day for Miss Liang, because that was the day she and her fiancé, young Wei, were to be married. But when she came to the Civil Affairs Bureau to complete the paperwork for a marriage license, she got an infinitely astonishing response direct from the clerk's mouth. "You've already registered a marriage with another man in X city in 2005." Miss Liang felt mystified. When she checked out the circumstances of her marriage license, she discovered that the so-called "husband" who had registered the marriage with her, a Mr. Hu, was someone she had not only never met, but never even heard of. What really made her mad was that, being "married," there was no way for her and young Wei to get a marriage license other than getting the license with Mr. Hu revoked.
But when she went to the Civil Affairs Bureau in that city to request revocation, they refused. At the end of her rope, all she could do was file an administrative lawsuit asking the court to revoke the Civil Affairs Bureau's erroneous administrative action.
When the South Liuzhou Court went into session to hear the case, it discovered that the person whom Mr. Hu had married at that time had the same identifying information as Miss Liang, but was not Miss Liang herself. Further, the imposter had been missing for some time. He (sic: Mr. Hu?) agreed to revocation of the erroneous marriage license. The Public Security agency also certified that the photo which the imposter used on her ID and on the marriage license at the time was not Miss Liang. In the end, the court issued a decision revoking this marriage license.
Liuzhou Evening News, 2013-01-26
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8. Woman Lends Hand at ATM
￥3.9 Hard-Earned Money Gone W/O Trace
Many people would likely be put on the alert if they encountered a stranger who volunteered to lend a hand in front of a bank ATM. But turn it around, if somebody steps forward and asks for help, many people would probably drop their guards. Recently a lady working in Liuzhou, a Ms. Wei, was unfortunately taken in by a con man because of her kind nature. When the individual copied the information on her bank card, she lost hard-earned money in the amount of 39,000 Yuan (≈$6,290).
On January 9, in the morning, a middle-aged woman came to the North Sparrow Precinct of the Liuzhou Public Security Department to report a crime. She claimed that someone had taken money from her bank account without her knowledge. Ms. Wei, who was making the report, said she is from Horse Mountain County but has been working continuously in Liuzhou. At about 4:00 in the afternoon on January 8, she came to the cash withdrawal ATM at a bank on North Sparrow Road to get some cash. Just as she was getting ready to leave after making the withdrawal, a middle-aged man standing in front of an adjacent ATM asked for her help.
"That's when he said the machine couldn't read his card. He wanted to use my card to test the machine." Ms. Wei claimed that the man appeared agitated at the time. Out of compassion, she gave him her card. The man turned around and operated the machine for 10 seconds, then gave the card back to Ms. Wei.
Ms. Wei felt very puzzled. She clearly hadn't given the man her password, so how could her money be gone? On January 9, when she received a text notification of a withdrawal sent by the bank, she still had possession of the card and had not given it to anyone to make a withdrawal. She came right to the precinct to make a report.
Officers obtained and studied the bank's surveillance tapes. They ascertained that the man who had borrowed Ms. Wei's bank card is the most likely suspect. Quite possibly this man copied information from Ms. Wei's bank card. He had been watching all the while as Ms. Wei made her withdrawal and quite possibly saw her password.
Liuzhou Online, 2013-1-13
Chinese text available here.
1. Man Beats and Injures Another, Flees in Car
2. Thieves Attempt to Bribe Traffic Cop
3. Some Busses on Way to Fair Overloaded
4. Didn't Like Dinner, Smashed Up Household
News Translations Published in December 2012 and January 2013
5. Jealousy & Hate Re Neighbor's Fortune
6. Net Safety Depends on Government "Escort"
7. Woman Denied Marriage License, Sues
8. Good Samaritan at ATM Gets Scammed
Chinese Stories in English