From Reuters:
China has vowed to punish officials who cause mass unrest by mishandling public complaints, according to new rules on handling petitions and riots that implicitly acknowledge problems with official misconduct.
With the Chinese government eager to present a national image of prosperous harmony at the Beijing Olympics just two weeks away, Chinese Communist Party leaders launched a massive drive to stifle potential unrest. But a ripple of riots in several parts of the country has exposed continued discontent.
But the rules, issued late on Thursday, are by no means the first promising to stamp out official abuses and protect petitioners’ rights, and in practice police and officials face intense pressure to quell potential protest swiftly and harshly.
