Relevant departments should crack down on unauthorized cyber cafes and simplify procedures for legal Internet cafe applications, said Huang Chengqing, vice secretary of China Internet Network Association.

On June 16, 24 people were killed in a fire at the Lanjisu Cyber Cafi, located in Beijing's Haidian District. The fatal blaze has exposed the fact that many cyber cafes pose hidden dangers.

Beijing now has over 2,400 cyber cafes. Most of them do not have completed the necessary official formalities. Under the auspices of Ministry of Culture, Chinese cyber cafes are supervised by administrative bureaus for industry and commerce, and the public security agencies.

Huang appealed for relevant departments to simplify the procedures for Internet cafi applications so as to provide convenience in regulating market management. Applicants now have to go to many departments to obtain their business license, which gives the rise to illegal cyber cafes. Meanwhile, cyber cafi owners should also receive proper training in handling the communication functions of the Internet.

Huang said that many owners of cyber cafes have strongly appealed for the establishment of a self-discipline association to protect their legal business activities and provide them with a sound market environment. This is said to be under consideration.

Administrative departments should not close all cyber cafes just because of one single incident. They should actively develop the cyber cafes by strengthening their management, Huang added.

(china.org.cn by Unisumoon, June 22, 2002)