Why investigators spread titillating gossip about China's corrupt officials
Chang Ping says salacious details in graft cases are released to divert attention from real problems
The Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Chinese Communist Party is rather concerned about whether government officials are in the habit of watching pornographic DVDs and, if they do, where they keep them.
Recently, the Inner Mongolia commission for discipline inspection accused the autonomous region's former deputy secretary general Wu Zhizhong of violating laws and discipline. Xinhua reported last month that Wu turned a room at his home into a hall for worship where he hid about 100 pornographic DVDs in a drawer under a Buddhist statute.
It wasn't as if Wu didn't have enough space to keep his DVDs as, according to reports, he owned 34 properties across the country and overseas. Investigators searching his premises found a bag holding nothing but keys. Reports also made a point of noting that he prayed every day. Whether he was devout or not, there seemed to be no need for him to be disrespectful to the Buddha. But keeping his DVDs under a Buddha statue is a key detail in the case as it highlights his hypocrisy.
In its crackdown on corruption, the government has highlighted the immorality of individuals to avoid touching on institutional problems such as the power hierarchy.
The government has been trying to convince people that corruption is rooted in degenerate lifestyles and spiritual bankruptcy. At the same time, it rejects the use of religion as a way to nurture the soul. Instead, Marxism is preached as the best way to improve self-discipline in order to "maintain inner purity".
Hence, the party's disciplinary commission sees exposing the moral degeneracy of corrupt officials as its mission. In addition to criminal activity, personal degeneracy, especially extramarital affairs, is what the commission focuses on and wants the public to know about.
After the case of Wang Lijun and Bo Xilai broke, the commission often used such phrases as "had developed and maintained abnormal sexual relationships with multiple females", which were derided by internet users.
