Sex, lies, and coal mines

For quite some time now it has been recognized that China's mines are among the most dangerous in the world. A combination of poor poor training, poor safety standards, and corner cutting by owners of often illegal mine looking to exploit China's growing demand for energy, lead to almost 5000 deaths during 2006 alone, and to an unknown number of potentially serious injuries that is thought to far outstrip the number of outright casualties. However, among all of the mining related fatalities in recent years, the case of Lan Chengzhang stands out quite a way

Lan wasn't a miner, and he didn't die in a mining accident. Instead, he was an investigative journalist working for the Beijing based China Trade News, who was beaten to death in Shanxi province earlier this month after he began investigating illegally operated mines.

Denial

In a series of releases that have greatly angered China's beleaguered journalists, Chinese officials however have denied that Lan was investigating an illegal mine, and also initially denied that his murder should be recorded as the killing of a journalist

According to representatives for the region in which Lan was killed, the mine that he was investigating had already been closed down some time ago after local villagers intervened.

"It is an illegal mine, but it was closed a long time ago by the villagers," Gu Shengming, Spokesperson, Datong city

Equally, officials also stated that Lan could not be recognized as a journalist on the grounds that he lacked official state accreditation. Instead, officials suggested that Lan might be a blackmailer who instigated his own death by trying to secure a bribe in return for a favorable report on a local mining operation

"There are fake reporters coming almost every day, demanding payoffs in exchange for positive press or by threatening negative stories" Spokesperson, Hunyuan, Shanxi

Rebuttal

Soon after the official announcements were made, Lan's employer, the Beijing based China Trade News, offered a firmly worded rebuttal to official claims, stating that Lan was in Hunyuan in an official capacity, and that only lacked accreditation because he had been hired in late December, and the paperwork had not cleared by the time of his death.

Equally, China watchers noted that the high price of coal, and the revenue that it brings in to local authorities, mean that it is both common for illegally opened mines to begin working again soon after closure, and for state officials to turn a blind eye to such operations.

It is also well known for state officials to have financial stakes in such operations.

Contradiction

Although officials stated that the mine that Lan was investigating is no longer in operation, they have confirmed that they are seeking the owner in connection with Lan's murder, and that they have already detained a number of people who he is suspected of hiring to assault Lan.

A taxi driver was also assaulted along with Lan, though he survived.

tags: shanxi  lan chengzhang  

links: digg this    del.icio.us    technorati    reddit