Judges fall into China’s social fault lines
Dozens of demonstrators met outside a courthouse in Yongzhou, Hunan, scene of a rampage two days ago when Zhu Jun , a 46-year-old head of security at a local postal savings bank, burst into the city's Lingling District People's Court carrying two rifles and a pistol and gunned down at least three judges inside an office. At least two more judges were listed in critical condition at an intensive care unit.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of mainland internet users offered condolences to Zhu and praised him as a hero for daring to take on "notorious judicial officials" instead of doing harm to vulnerable schoolchildren.
The reference here is to the killing of children in recent months, caused according to analysts by widespread social frustration in the country.
Standing in front of the courthouse, demonstrators said they supported Zhu because it was impossible to obtain justice in this country,
Judges are notoriously corrupt, acting like party lackeys, in practice never issuing rulings that are favourable to the tens of thousands of petitions filed by ordinary folks against local government or company officials who steal land, pollute and throw people off their land or out of their homes using force.
Beijing is well aware of the problem, and has tried to keep popular anger in check.
Yesterday, Yang Xiancai, former director of the Guangdong court's executive bureau, was convicted of receiving bribes of more than 11 million yuan (US$ 1.6 million) from a Shenzhen-based company in order to favour its interests.
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