OpinionHenan hits back at 'grave clearing' opponents

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Graves are removed as part of a “flatten graves to return farmland” campaign in Zhoukou city, Henan province. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Published: 1:06pm, 27 Dec 2012Updated: 9:53pm, 27 Dec 2012

Chinese officials in Henan province are returning fire in a war of words that for months has engulfed them in public criticism over a controversial grave-clearing campaign.

An editorial published on Thursday in the state-run Henan Daily newspaper defended the “grave-flattening” campaign, justifying it as an “important part of [Henan’s] burials and interment reform”. It admonished microbloggers for spreading “inappropriate remarks” about the government across social media and urged them to be rational.

“Hundreds have released inappropriate remarks online, and even questioned the multi-party co-operation system under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. This is not to be taken as an example. The digital world is not a world outside the law,” the editorial said.

The editorial said the grave-clearing campaign was a vital “social goal” aimed at increasing Henan’s stock of arable land and to strengthening food security and agricultural industry. It claimed the campaign had the support from “the masses” and would serve multiple purposes and benefit the country.

More than two million graves and tombs across Henan were demolished this year as part of a “flatten graves to return farmland” campaign. It was eventually shelved in November after sparking outrage from the Chinese public.

Screenshot of the editorial in the Henan Daily newspaper on Thursday. Photo: SCMP Pictures

The Henan Daily editorial also criticised a recently dropped member of Henan’s People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) for openly questioning the campaign on microblogging service Sina Weibo earlier this year.

Zhao Keluo, 38, had his candidacy for the provincial Standing Committee revoked this month. He published a sarcastic “letter of repentance” on his weibo account apologising for his criticism of the campaign; his letter quickly went viral on Chinese social media.