Local official orders pupils to wear big white bags across a hilside. [Photo/IC]

According to a recent report by People's Daily, to create an impression of prosperity for their superiors who were conducting an a inspection tour, local officials got pupils with big white bags to spread out across a hillside so they would look like sheep when seen from a train. To end such practices, it is necessary to allow residents to supervise their officials, says a comment on Beijing News:

"False sheep" is just one of the tricks used by local officials. Their creative measures to cheat their superiors include painting hillsides green to pretend they are full of trees, as well as building a long wall by roadsides so that leaders who visit villages do not see the poorest parts.

Some "experts" said these officials should be forgiven because they are under pressure. That's nonsense. In most of the cases, local officials engage in such tricks to give the illusion of prosperity because that promises approval from their superiors and the possibility of promotion. For local residents, such deeds by their officials mean fewer opportunities for real improvements, and possibly a heavier tax burden, because together with such "creative" measures the officials will create false accounts to make the local economy look good. The crazy deeds of local officials do residents no good; only the officials benefit from them.

Then why do the local people not protest? It is because there is no effective way the public can supervise officials. They hardly have a say on the performance of officials, and all the officials need to do is to please their superiors. When residents are unhappy, they cannot remove an official from office; they must petition higher authorities, who often choose to trust the officials instead of the residents.

It is lack of public supervision over officials that has bred corruption and made it so rampant in the whole nation. The case mentioned by People's Daily is a joke that's not funny; worse there are many tragedies in which people's property even safety are violated by officials. While any petitions to higher authorities remain unanswered and they get punished by local officials for making trouble. Protecting people's rights and allowing them to have a say on appointing and dismissing officials is the only way to end the ridiculous and damaging behavior of local officials and promote social justice.