Li Yizhong, minister of the State Administration of Work Safety, has vowed
that "determined moves will be taken to shut down illegal collieries and those
which, though legally registered, still fail to qualify for safe production even
after rectification" and that "at least 4,000 coal mines will be closed by the
end of the year."
The top work safety official's pledge on Sunday represents the central
authorities' latest effort to put an end to colliery accidents that have haunted
the country for many years and worsened lately.
Nobody doubts the sincerity in the government's determination but there is
still scepticism about whether the problem can really be solved. The scepticism
stems from the fact that fatal accidents still occurred one after another even
though the central government decreed repeatedly that harsh measures be taken to
curb unsafe mining.
China has enacted nearly 200 laws and administrative decrees concerning
industrial production safety, which, in Work Safety Minister Li's words, "come
in three one-inch-thick volumes." Everybody could see the irony in the contrast
between the large number of safety laws and regulations and the large number of
industrial accidents.
Even an amateur analyst would see that the problem lies in the execution of
laws.
But the problem has been talked about so much that it has become clichd to
blame the lax execution of laws.
What is needed now is a serious study of the final reason why the execution
of laws has become a "chronic ailment."
In fact, critics have pointed out some factors that account for the lax
execution of laws. Corruption of government officials who have vested interests
in coal mines is the most cited culprit. And the public's fury seems to have
been directed mostly at the "collusion between officials and colliery owners."
Such malfeasance by government officials is certainly outrageous. These
officials have turned themselves into criminals. They should be brought to
justice. But this should not blind us to other forms of official malfeasance.
Anyhow, officials-colliery owners collusion was found in only a small part of
the whole coal mining industry.
Another, probably the main, reason for the coal mine accidents was
dereliction of duty on the part of officials from local governments and those in
charge of State-owned coal mines.
These officials were supposed to implement the State laws on production
safety and supervise all safety precautions in coal mines. Reports of the
colliery accidents all indicated failure on the part of these officials to
implement the stipulated safety precautions. Industry administrative authorities
licensed mines without adequate safety facilities; safety monitoring authorities
let mines failing the check carry on; and local leaders turned a blind eye to
illegal coal mining by private owners.
A more profound reason behind such dereliction of duty is local governments'
pursuit of performance credit in "promoting economic growth."
The shortage of energy supply China has suffered in recent years has jacked
up coal prices, which in turn prompted local governments and State-owned mines'
managers to put coal excavation above any other consideration. Under this
obsession for economic success, these officials undoubtedly forgot their duty to
coal mine safety.
Such dereliction of duty must not be pardoned with the excuse of
"negligence." When human life is involved, negligence is nothing but crime,
which is no lighter than profit-oriented collusion with private coal pit owners.
After the occurrences of coal mine accidents in recent years, some owners and
managers were brought to justice and a few officials directly in charge of
safety work were penalized. However, officials on higher levels who were
responsible for allowing the continued existence of the ineligible mines were
not punished. They are responsible for the lax execution of the laws on coal
mine safety.
The State Council on Monday decided to dispatch several overhaul panels to
major coal-producing provinces. One of their missions is to "pursue people who
misuse their rights or violate work safety regulations."
I hope this move by the central government will solve the problem of lax
execution of laws in terms of work safety.
Email: liushinan@chinadaily.com.cn
(China Daily 12/14/2005 page4)
