The People's Daily reported on Monday that the Hubei provincial disciplinary authorities had recently issued a notice forbidding Communist Party and government officials from visiting "business-oriented entertainment venues". The notice comes in the wake of a waitress killing of an official, avowedly to protect herself from rape, in Badong county in the province. The notice urged all officials in the province to "draw a lesson" from the case, which "has produced a baneful influence on society". The case triggered nationwide concern about the fate of the waitress, whom most people admired for her "courage to defend her integrity and chastity". The public also vented its anger against the officials who allegedly forced the girl to provide "special service", a euphemism for sex. In Chinese official jargon, "business-oriented entertainment venues" refers to bars or baths that provide services of karaoke, dancing, bathing or massage, usually along with the company of young women, or "Misses", some of whom may provide "special service" on request. The phrase - "forbidding officials from visiting business-oriented entertainment venues" - may sound very familiar to the public. There had been similar warnings in the past, too, issued by the authorities. Just 11 days before the Badong case happened, the Hubei provincial committee of the Communist Party and the Hubei provincial government held a video conference on "fighting corruption and building clean government", which all officials above county level attended. |