According to an expert in criminology, these groups have acquired the rudimentary elements of mafia, and should be defined as mafia-style gangs. With those mafia gangs in Hong Kong and Taiwan as their examples, the crime syndicates are gradually evolving into true mafia groups. Among their members are also criminals who fled overseas, join mafia groups there and came back to develop their criminal activities at home.

Currently, organized and violent crimes by mafia-style gangs and evil forces are greatly jeopardizing social stability and citizens' lives. First, these crime syndicates commit murders, robberies, fraud, forced sale of products, abduction, forced prostitution and smuggling. Second, they have no compunction about killing innocent members of the public, attacking public security officers and settling intramural strife with mob fights. Third, some crime syndicates have dominated whole localities and bullying local residents. Fourth, in many localities, evil forces have gained monopoly of business and employ illegal methods to gain huge profits. Fifth, the crime syndicates disturb the legal and justice systems by serving as hired gunmen and establishing underground courts. Finally, cross-border crimes, like money laundering, arms smuggling, trafficking in women and children, piracy and terrorism, have escalated the scale of crime in China.

To curb this negative trend, the Chinese government is launching a nationwide campaign against organized crime syndicates and evil forces. Luo Gan, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, issued an order before the Spring Festival, urging police forces to crack down hard on all mafia-style gangs and underground evil organizations.

"To eradicate the mafia and evil forces, it is crucial to dig out those government officials who support them from backstage," Luo said, adding many influential bureaucrats had acted as their "protection umbrella."

According to a new legal interpretation of the China's Supreme People's Court, government officials will be severely dealt with if convicted of having a role in mafia-style organizations. Criminal liability will be sought against officials who "harbor" and "connive" with underground mafia organizations, as the court added one more clause into interpretations of the Criminal Law.

"Harboring" in the codes refers to divulging secrets; hiding, destroying or fabricating evidence; preventing others from testifying; causing others to commit perjury; and helping convicts to flee, or others acts seen as obstructing law enforcement.

"Connivance" refers to intentional conspiracy with the suspects and instigating and supporting them in carrying out criminal acts. As the interpretation rules, the organizer or leader of a mafia-style organization will be penalized in terms of all the crimes committed by the organization. The individual members will only be punished for their own crimes.

Up to now, bountiful results have been achieved. Henan Province alone has smashed 154 mafia-style gangs and 444 evil force organizations in three months. From January until November last year, Beijing also cracked down on 2,425 such gangs. With the cooperation of all parties concerned, the "Crack-Down" campaign will bring back a peaceful life to the Chinese people.

(CIIC by Gao Kun 02/19/2001)