Letters and Blogs

Share progress with migrants

Five Shanghai chengguan officers beat a street peddler who sold watermelons on the sidewalk to near death on July 26. They were dismissed from public service soon after the incident and arrested on charges of intentional injury. A report showed that except one full-time chengguan officer, the remaining officers were temporarily employed without professional training.

Although the incident occurred in Shanghai, the biggest city in China, the tragedy reflects a universal rather than isolated phenomenon. The case discloses the disparity of rights and benefits between urban and rural residents. And the rights of peddlers from rural areas to conduct their business have not been protected.