Just One Of Many Contradictions in China

China is full of contradictions, that much is certain. One instance can be found in an account by Chinese writer Liu Aimin (刘爱民).

Liu was an investigative reporter with Chinese Central Television (CCTV). One assignment that he was tasked with was to uncover the theft, slaughter and sale of endangered birds in Jiangxi province (江西省). But he certainly uncovered more than what he had bargained for.

To begin with, the protection of endangered birds fell under the purview of the province's Wild Life Protection Department. But since the local police were in the position of arresting those who had engaged in the trading of endangered birds, these endangered birds sometimes fell into the hands of the police.

And to make a quick buck, the police would usually "negotiate" with the Wild Life Department to surrender these endangered birds to the Department for "a couple of hundred bucks" per bird. If the money was not handed over, the birds would not be surrendered.

In his article 人与鸟 (or Man and Bird) in 空谈 (Empty Talk or Airwave Talk, Zhongguo Guangbo Dianshi Publishing Press, 2000), Liu outlined his dilemma in whether or not he should pursue and expose the local police for their shady dealings.

As Liu put it, even though what the local police had done should not be encouraged, what they had done was still fundamentally different from the criminal act of hunting down and killing endangered birds.

"What the police had done was to make a quick buck for themselves in the midst of carrying out their duties. And if they were exposed for what they had done, and they no longer get a quick buck, will they still bother to actively pursue those criminals who trade and slaughter birds?"

You know, it is sad when people involved in maintaining law and order need to have extra "incentives" to do what they were tasked to do in the first place!

On a slightly happier ending, Liu said he eventually did not "expose" the local police on national television. Rather, what he did was to tip-off the provincial police department. After the tip-off, a few more endangered birds were reportedly surrendered by the local police to the Wild Life Department without any monetary "compensation."