New rule to put police on tighter rein

MAINLAND citizens soon will be able to file complaints against policemen for misconduct and also demand compensation.

Xinhua (the New China News Agency) said yesterday that a new regulation would be implemented which set down categories for complaints and outlined police obligations and how police would investigate complaints. To take effect in May, it is the first government regulation dealing with police misconduct.

The power of mainland police has rarely been tethered and they are presently authorised to send suspects to a labour re-education camp for as long as three years - without trial.

The regulation will give Chinese citizens a legal foundation for demanding redress and compensation for police misconduct, Xinhua says.

Announcing the new regulation, a Ministry of Public Security spokesman Lu Baitao said in Beijing that once a complaint was accepted then authorities would launch a thorough investigation.

However, China will not set up an independent body to investigate police misconduct, and complaints will continue to come in through Public Security offices throughout the country.