Opinion | Shedding some light on the dark world of party discipline
Lawyers and media commentators say the harsh system known as shuanggui contravenes efforts to push for rule of law
In China's uphill battle against rampant corruption, no other Communist Party agency evokes more fear among officials than the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI), the country's top anti-graft watchdog.
The commission's name may sound innocuous, and so does its most potent weapon, known as shuanggui - a two-word abbreviation from a clause in the party's regulations that requires members to explain their so-called disciplinary violations at a specific time and venue.
But those two words have given the commission sweeping powers to indefinitely detain and question any official suspected of wrongdoing.
The process is cloaked in secrecy, and suspected officials are subjected to round-the-clock surveillance and harsh interrogation techniques, while being denied access to any outside contact, including with lawyers and family members.
The confinement may last months or even years, until officials break down or investigators collect enough evidence to cement their case.
Few officials placed under shuanggui are likely to emerge unscathed. Those held on lesser offences may receive demerits or demotions, but in serious cases, officials are stripped of their party membership and turned over to prosecutors for criminal trials.
According to the CCDI, more than 160,000 party members have been punished for disciplinary violations, but it did not say how many had been criminally prosecuted.