No right to abuse

The amendment to local rules of Guangdong province on how city management officers should behave points to the brutality that some such officers often display in their treatment of street pedlars.

The amendment that was submitted to the standing committee of Guangdong People's Congress on Tuesday for deliberation stipulates that these officers, who are often referred to as chengguan in Chinese, must show respect to those who are supposed to be subject to their law enforcement actions. It forbids verbal attacks, threats, physical abuse and damage to property.

Needless to say, such barbaric behavior should never be inflicted by anyone on anyone at any time. Chengguan officers, whose duty is to see to the tidiness of a city, have never been granted the right to abuse both verbally and physically whoever they believe has violated city management rules.