Beijing cleans up crime for CCP congress

Beijing is targeting underground gangs in a clean-up ahead of the next Communist Party Congress gathering

HONG KONG, China (CNN) -- Beijing is intensifying its strike-hard campaign against crime and subversion in the run-up to the 16th Communist Party Congress.

Politburo member in charge of law and order Luo Gan said all departments must join hands to "create a congenial social and law-and-order environment" for the pivotal congress, slated for the autumn.

State media on Tuesday quoted Luo as saying that police and other forces must intensify the strike-hard campaign which has been going on for at least one year.

The strike-hard campaign has been launched by police departments almost every year since the mid-1980 and usually targets hard-core criminal elements including underground gangs and drug traffickers.

"The foundation for law and order is still weak," Luo said, adding that the evil forces might bounce back once there was a let-up in vigilance.

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Luo pointed out a key target of the strike hard operation was underground triad societies and gangs as well as their "protection umbrellas," a reference to local officials who might have given help and shelter to the triads.

He also said grassroots Communist party cells in the villages as well as city neighborhoods must be strengthened so that they can mobilize more resources against crime and anti-government activities.

Twin threats

Chinese sources close to the security establishment said that apart from hard-core criminal gangs, the leadership of President Jiang Zemin was most worried about two challenges: rural and urban unrest caused by unemployment and the Falun Gong quasi-Buddhist group.

Since early spring, labor strikes and peasant riots have increased, particularly in the northeastern provinces as well as the central provinces such as Sichuan and Hunan.

Despite the authorities' apparent success in driving the Falun Gong underground, members of the spiritual group have been able to periodically stage protests and to insert Falun Gong propaganda into official TV programs.

The Chinese sources said public security departments, which had classified the Falun Gong as a quasi-terrorist organization, would devote more resources to arresting ringleaders.

Beijing is also putting more pressure on the U.S. and other Western countries not to harbor Falun Gong leaders on the grounds that the group is a terrorist organization.