Webs of connections

THE "renal calculus formula" affair has snowballed, and popular indignation is growing with each passing day. Over the past few days, mainland netizens have been saying the authorities ought not to have shifted the blame on a few dairy farmers or criminals. They believe the producer and some government officials must take the blame. In the past two days the Hebei provincial party committee sacked a number of Shijiazhuang officials and had Sanlu chairwoman and general manager Tian Wenhua fired. The particularly serious food scare has affected all parts of China. Is it true that only a small handful of people are to blame? All Chinese people wonder whether the sacked officials who have taken bribes or broken the law will be punished by the law.

The authorities were told as early as last March about "renal calculus formula". Early last August, the matter was brought to the attention of the Shijiazhuang government, the General Administration for Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and the Ministry of Health. All would wonder, "Is it true that the company and government officials are blameless?"

When she answered press questions, Sanlu chairwoman Tian Wenhua admitted that, early last August, the company became aware that its formula contained melamine, adding that it did report the matter to the authorities (presumably the Shijiazhuang government). Neither Sanlu nor the Shijiazhuang government alerted the public. Evidently, they joined hands to cover up the scandal. These people have no regard whatsoever for babies' health or lives. They are at least guilty of dereliction of duty. If any of them have offered or taken bribes, the matter must not be ended by subjecting them to "party discipline". What the officials responsible for the food scare have done has had an extremely adverse social impact. Conceivably, few would agree sacking would be an adequate punishment for their malfeasance

Last June, some left on the AQSIQ's website messages saying that Sanlu formula might be tainted and that it should look into the matter to protect babies' health. However, the AQSIQ did not take those messages seriously. Now "made in China" is a phrase some foreigners use to mock China. Over the past few days, there has been much discussion on mainland websites about whether the AQSIQ is capable of discharging its duties and whether its leaders are competent. Evidently, the only way to restore public confidence in food and product safety is to give the AQSIQ more powers and functions and appoint capable people to lead it. Unless this is done, China's food industry can hardly get out of difficulty.

From what some Gansu Health Department officials have disclosed, the Ministry of Health learned early last August that babies had fallen victim to Sanlu formula. It did nothing. At a press conference that took place some days ago, Gao Qiang, secretary of the leading party members' group of the Ministry of Health, laid the blame squarely on Sanlu, saying, "Sanlu has long delayed reporting the matter to the government. For this matter the Sanlu group is very much responsible." It is the Ministry of Health that heads the probe into the "renal calculus formula" affair. It seems clear from what we have mentioned above that there is a conflict of interest. It is quite doubtful that the Ministry of Health's findings will find credence.

It is worth finding out whether any journalists or media organisations have helped with the covering up of the scandal. A few days before it became impossible to keep the public in the dark about the "renal calculus formula" affair, all electronic media organisations under the central authorities (including China National Radio and China Central Television) had aired reports about Sanlu and Yili. In those reports they sang the two dairy groups' praises and tried to burnish their public images.

A few days before the "renal calculus formula" affair came to light, China Central Television and China National Radio had gone to great lengths to give Sanlu and Yili a good press. Are those stories normal journalistic efforts? In our view, the authorities ought to find out whether those stories have anything to do with "advantages".

In short, a huge web businesses, government agencies and media organisations have weaved is now faintly visible. They have weaved it to keep the public in the dark about the "renal calculus formula" scandal. The public has now a good chance of discovering how some heartless maniacs weave webs of connections. Only if such webs are destroyed can we hope colluders will slightly restrain themselves. The central government must no longer allow such webs to exist. It must see that people's interests are truly protected.

明報 2008.9.18 社評﹕黨紀易了 國法難容

「腎 病奶粉」事件愈鬧愈大，民憤日亟。連日來，內地網民對於當局把責任推向奶農和不法分子，不以為然，認為生產商和相關官員豈能卸責。前、昨兩日，河北省委先 後免去石家莊多名官員和三鹿集團董事長兼總經理田文華的職務，但是如此一樁波及全國的特大食品安全事故，問責官員僅此數人而已？另外，全國人民都會關注： 涉事官員除了丟官以外，如有瀆職枉法情事，是否也毋須接受國家法律的制裁。

「腎病奶粉」早於今年3月已有人舉報。到8月初，事態已經去到石家莊當局、國家質檢總局和衛生部等部門。大家會問﹕企業和官員真的毫無責任？

三 鹿集團田文華接受傳媒查詢時，承認8月初已經知道奶粉含有三聚氰胺，並已向當局匯報(相信是石家莊市政府)，但是三鹿和市政府都沒有向公泷示警，從事態發 展看來，他們涉嫌聯手隱瞞事件。這種罔顧嬰幼兒健康、生命的行為，起碼涉及瀆職罪；另外，他們聯手隱瞞，其間如果涉及行賄、收賄，更非黨內「組織處理」就 可以了結。涉事官員參與了這宗特大食品安全事故，在社會引致極壞影響，如果說丟官就足以抵償他們的責任，相信大多數民泷都不敢苟同。

今年6月，已有人在國家質檢總局的網頁留言，舉報三鹿奶粉可能有事，要求該局調查處理，以保障嬰 幼兒健康，但是該局人員並未認真處理。現在「中國製造」已經成為外國一些人揶揄中國的詞彙。國家質檢總局未能善盡職責、國家質檢總局主事人是否適任等議 題，近日在內地網站已掀起不少討論。看來要加強國家質檢總局的職能和領導能力，才可以逐步重建民泷對食品和產品安全的信心，否則中國的食品工業難有出頭的 一天。

至於衛生部，從甘肅省衛生廳官員的披露，有理由相信衛生部在8月初已經知道三鹿奶粉坑害嬰幼兒，但是未見處理。衛生部黨組書記高強日 前在記者會上，更把隱瞞事故的責任直接推到三鹿身上， 指「三鹿集團在相當長的時間內沒有向政府報告。在這個問題上，三鹿集團應該承擔很大的責任」。據知，現在有關「腎病奶粉」的事故調查工作，由高強主持，從 上述事態而言，衛生部的角色存在利益衝突，則得出的調查結果能否取信於天下，也是一大疑問。

除了相關企業和部門的責任以外，媒體或媒體工作者是否參與隱瞞，也值得深入了解。在「腎病奶粉」再也紙包不住火之前幾天，中央級的電子媒體(包括中央電視台和中向人民廣播電台)都曾經報道三鹿和伊利的消息，為這兩個奶品集團吹噓，塑造正面形象。

在「腎病奶粉」揭發前數日，中央電視台和中央人民廣播電台大力替三鹿和伊利造勢，是正常的新聞報道運作嗎？其間會否存在「利益」問題？我們認為值得當局深究。

總 之，這次「腎病奶粉」事件，隱然看到一個由企業、官方部門和媒體「編織」出來的大網，目的是要隱瞞整件事。這是一次很好的機會，使公泷知道一些喪心病狂的 人，如何把關係網編織起來。能夠戳破這個網，則有望使日後一些勾結行徑，有所收斂。中央不應再讓大網垂天的日子繼續下去了，要讓人民的利益真的受到保障。