China's State Forestry Administration will not verify the
pictures of the South China Tiger but it will properly perform its
functions to protect and save wildlife, a spokesman of the
administration said at a press conference in Beijing on December 4.
By 3 PM the same day, more than 20,000 netizens posted comments on
China's most popular websites indicating their discontent toward
the administration.
The administration was criticized for dereliction of duty and
covering up.
"The State Forestry Administration's reply to the tiger pictures
was so disappointing. I think their answer is ambiguous and
involves a run-around and a cover up for subordinates," said a
netizen in his post.
"I don't see any sense of responsibility from the
administration. It is inconceivable that such high level
administration has committed such an omission," said another
netizen.
A netizen hoped that the proper departments would correctly
exercise their rights granted by the people. He said any
dereliction of duty would disappoint citizens.
Netizens insist thorough investigation on the pictures
to defend government credibility
In fact, some netizens are focusing on the credibility of the
Shaanxi Forestry Bureau instead of the authenticity of the
pictures. Some of them thought that the credibility of the State
Forestry Administration had also been questioned.
Additionally, a netizen insisted that the pictures should be
identified and liars and perjurers should be punished. He had hoped
that authorities would dabble in the tiger dispute and provide a
satisfying, objective and realistic answer.
"The question is not whether the tiger in the pictures is real
or not; the real question revolves around government supervision.
We wish that the government would be responsible for what they have
said. Most of us pay more attention to our government's credibility
than to a mere tiger. As Chinese citizens, we hope that we can do
our duties to supervise the state power. Only in this way can our
democratic rights and the country's long-term stability be
guaranteed," a netizen said.
All About South China Tiger
(China.org.cn by Yang Xi, December 5, 2007)
