China: Communist leader wants control of courts(China's Beria speaks out)

The Communist Party must safeguard its control of China's courts to combat enemy forces that want to "Westernize" the country, a party leader said in comments published this week.

His remarks highlighted the clash between the party's desire to maintain control and its promises to create an independent court system in a society where officials traditionally have unchecked power.

The party "must defend against infiltration and sabotage activities that threaten state security," Luo Gan, a member of the party's ruling nine-man Standing Committee, said in a speech reprinted in the party magazine Seeking Truth.

In recent years, "enemy forces have tried in vain to attack and change our country's legal system," said Luo, the ruling party's top law and order official. He said unspecified foreign non-governmental groups were among those threatening state security.

"Enemy forces always use political and legal organs as an important breaking point in a strategy to Westernize and divide our country," Luo said.

Communist leaders periodically go through such bouts of public anxiety, warning that social and legal changes meant to promote China's economic reforms might erode party control.

President Hu Jintao has warned about threats to communist power from foreign groups that work with Chinese activists promoting the rule of law and the rights of farmers and other groups.

Officials were ordered to step up scrutiny of groups working with Chinese legal activists after the "color revolutions" in Ukraine and other ex-Soviet nations, where protests helped oust unpopular governments.

China's courts have undergone sweeping changes in recent years as the party expanded their role in settling commercial and social disputes and promised to use them to promote human rights.

But judges still submit important rulings for approval by ruling party officials before they are issued.

The party must maintain ideological control over China's courts and any legal reforms "must strengthen party leadership ... and consciously safeguard central authority," Luo said.

One of the party's key concerns is the surge in cases brought by farmers challenging the seizure of farmland for construction of factories, power plants, shopping malls and other projects.

Beijing has responded by tightening controls over lawyers who represent people with grievances. Activist lawyers have been jailed, harassed or stripped of their licenses.

Rules issued last year require lawyers to provide information on their clients, discourage them from petitioning the government and alert authorities to possible protests.

They discourage lawyers from talking to foreign reporters and say they will be held responsible if disputes "intensify."

Activists have criticized the rules as a violation of international standards and Beijing's promises of judicial independence.

Luo Gan

Luo Gan (罗干) (born July 1935) is a member of the Politburo Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China and Political and Legislative Affairs Committee secretary of the People's Republic of China.

Luo Gan was born in Shandong province and studied engineering at the Beijing Steel and Iron Institute. Luo joined the Communist Party of China in 1960.

Afterwards, he moved to East Germany and spent eight years as a student at Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg as well as working in steel plants. Upon returning to China, Luo continued to work in the steel industry and became Party chief of the central Henan Province in the 1980s.

Luo has developed a close relationship with Li Peng and is considered his protege.

Luo was appointed a state councillor in 1993 (served until 2003) and became a member of the Politburo in 1998. Serving as the security chief, he implemented the "strike hard" anti-crime campaign, which has led to increased executions, and is said to have personally directed the suppression of illegal organisations and protests such as that at the Pubugou Dam (Sichuan) in 2004, during which around 20 protestors were killed.

Hmm... a protege of Li Peng, Butcher of Tienanmen, and also a security chief. That says it all.

Well, if you are not convinced, here is the official bio from People's Daily. Two accounts seem to match:

Luo Gan

Luo Gan, male, 67, Han nationality, a native of Ji'nan, Shandong Province, was born in July 1935. He joined the Communist Party of China (CPC) in June 1960 and began working in May 1962. He graduated from the Machine Casting Section of Freiburg Institute of Mining and Metallurgy in the Democratic Republic of Germany. He holds the academic title of senior engineer.

He is now a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, state councilor, member of the Leading Party Member Group of the State Council and secretary of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee of the CPC Central Committee.

1953-1954: Student at the Pressure Processing Department of Beijing Institute of Iron and Steel Engineering.

1954-1955: Student of the German language at Karl Marx University in Leipzig in the Democratic Republic of Germany.

1955-1956: Field practice at Leipzig Iron and Steel Plant and Leipzig Metal Casting Plant in the Democratic Republic of Germany.

1956-1962: Student majoring in Machine Casting at Freiburg Institute of Mining and Metallurgy in the Democratic Republic of Germany.

1962-1969: Project group leader and technician of the Mechanical Engineering Research Institute Under the First Machine-Building Industry Ministry.

1969-1970: Did manual work at the May 7th Cadre School Under the First Machine-Building Industry Ministry.

1970-1980: Director of the Luohe Preparatory Office of the Mechanical Engineering Academy Under the First Ministry of Machine-Building Industry and deputy director of the Zhengzhou Mechanical Engineering Research Institute Under the First Ministry of Machine-Building Industry.

1980-1981: Vice-chairman of the Henan Provincial Import and Export Committee and chairman of the Henan Provincial Science and Technology Committee.

1981-1983: Vice-governor of Henan Province and secretary of the CPC Henan Provincial Committee (the committee had a first secretary).

1983-1988: Vice-chairman of the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, member of the Secretariat of the federation and deputy secretary of the Leading Party Member Group of the federation.

1988-1993: Minister of Labor (April-December 1988), secretary-general of the State Council, secretary of the Leading Party Member Group of the Government Offices of the State Council and secretary of the State Organs Work Committee of the CPC.

1993-1997: State councilor, secretary-general of the State Council, secretary of the Leading Party Member Group of the Government Offices of the State Council, secretary of CPC Committee of the State Organs Work Committee, and deputy secretary of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee of the CPC Central Committee.

1997-1998: Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, state councilor and concurrently secretary-general of the State Council, secretary of the Leading Party Member Group of the Government Offices of the State Council, secretary of the CPC Committee of the State Organs Work Committee, and deputy secretary of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee of the CPC Central Committee.

1998-2002: Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, state councilor, member of the Leading Party Member Group of the State Council, and secretary of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee of the CPC Central Committee.

2002-: Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, state councilor, member of the Leading Party Member Group of the State Council, and secretary of the Political and Legislative Affairs Committee of the CPC Central Committee.

He was an alternate member of the 12th CPC Central Committee and a member of the 13th, 14th and 15th CPC Central Committees and is a member of the 16th CPC Central Committee. He was a member of the Political Bureau of the 15th CPC Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee. He is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the 16th CPC Central Committee.

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