Organized crime harms society the way a tumor harms the human body.

Once this type of crime infects government bodies, it can erode institutional functions to such an extent that administrative departments deviate from their role as public servants, and instead serve as a protective umbrella for underground gangs.

Very few societies can expect to be free from this social scourge, and our country is no exception.

In the process of transition from a planned economy to a market economy, and from a dualistic society to a pluralistic society, unhealthy practices like abuse of power and illegal use of connections for personal gain have given organized gangs the chance to erode government organs.

In recent years, many organized gangs have been found to have some government officials or police officers supporting them.

Vice-Minister of Public Security Bai Jingfu pointed out at a working conference on Monday that organized crime is most prevalent in industries such as construction, transportation, commodity wholesale markets and entertainment venues such as karaoke bars, night clubs and saunas.

Those involved in these sectors tend to engage themselves in illegal activities to make easy money or achieve monopolies through illegal means. In these cases, they tend to establish connections with relevant government officials and police officers, who turn a blind eye to whatever they do or even go to them for help whenever they have difficulty getting what they want.

Involvement has gone so far in some cases that some gangs even get the power to supervise a certain wholesale market and extract protection fees from business people, sometimes using violence.

Some government officials even hire murderers from criminal gangs to get rid of their political rivals, according to a report by Outlook magazine.

The rampage of organized crime in some areas certainly tarnishes the image of government and sows a sense of insecurity among the general public.

They erode the integrity of our society as well, and constitute an obstacle to the building of a harmonious society.

The central government has realized the harm that such a social scourge may bring to the very foundation of society, and in 2000 launched a series of campaigns to fight against it.

The Ministry of Public Security convened a working conference on new campaigns on Monday and made public a hotline 010-65204666 for people nationwide to phone to provide clues on organized criminal activities.

The ministry requires that a special task force be established at various levels for this purpose, and says that the present campaign will target corrupt officials and police officers who act as umbrellas for organized gangs.

The vice-minister said that leaders of local public security bureaus might be dismissed if organized gangs in their localities are crushed through tips to the hotline instead of through their own efforts.

The crackdown is related with the building of a clean and honest government.

Without the protection they have found from government offices, organized crimes would not have become so outrageous in so many places.

The government is fighting a war, in which crushing organized gangs is just one battle. The other battle is to shore up its own institutions to prevent them from providing opportunities for such gangs.

(China Daily March 1, 2006)