Disaster of rumors follows coverup attempt

The driver of Yu Yuanhui, the former Party chief of Nanning, capital of the Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, reportedly committed suicide days after Yu was removed from office on suspicion of severe disciplinary and law violations last month. The driver's death, however, was not revealed until Tuesday, when Caijing Magazine reported that his body had been cremated weeks ago. Comments:

By seeking to cover up the driver's death, the local authorities only gave rise to the worst speculation, thus quickening instead of curbing the spread of rumors. Given the fact that timely information disclosure could have reduced this "secondary disaster", the local police should have released the information in a timely manner.

Beijing News, June 17