Special report: Reconstruction After Earthquake

The armed police carry relief materials in Yingxiu Town, Wenchuan County, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 28, 2008. (Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    BEIJING, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities published a special statute Thursday that provides for punishment of malpractice and fraud involving relief for the May 12 earthquake in southwest China.

    The quake took at least 68,516 lives, injured 365,399 people, left another 19,350 missing and rendered more than 15 million people homeless.

    The new regulation was jointly issued by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) and the Ministry of Supervision (MOS).

    The two departments ordered their local counterparts at various levels to make the anti-earthquake battle a primary task and to investigate and punish wrongdoing without hesitation.

    The regulation prohibits embezzlement and fraud in the distribution of relief, the trading of relief goods, and other official malfeasance.

    Institutions and individuals, leading officials in particular, who are found to have engaged in such activities will be severely punished by the Communist Party and the government.

    Those who broke the law will have their cases referred to judicial departments for prosecution, it said.

    As of Thursday, 37.3 billion yuan (about 5.33 billion U.S. dollars) in cash and goods had been donated by domestic and overseas donors.

    The National Audit Office (NAO) had said immediately after the May 12 earthquake that it would audit the use of cash and goods for quake disaster regions, to ensure resources were strictly managed and used in a proper and timely manner.

    Auditors will investigate and deal with any attempt to hide, intercept or misappropriate donations, said the NAO.

Top anti-graft official vows "quick", "harsh" penalties on embezzlement in quake relief

    BEIJING, May 28 (Xinhua) -- The top anti-graft official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) vowed on Wednesday to give "quick, strict and harsh penalties" on those found withholding or embezzling quake relief fund and supplies.

    He Guoqiang, the CPC's Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) secretary, said it goes against justice to make profit from a national calamity by withholding and embezzling quake relief funds and supplies.

    Once such misconduct is spotted, it must be dealt with quickly and harshly and laid bare in public, he stressed, adding those with dereliction of duty would also be severely punished.   Full story

China steps up relief supplies supervision, fight against corruption

    BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhua) -- As soon as a truck loaded with candles, mosquito-repellent incense and flashlights arrived at thedistribution center in Dujiangyan, one of the cities worst hit by China's May 12 earthquake, workers and volunteers hurried to count, register and store the supplies.

    "For every batch of supplies, we have a clear five-step process," said Wang Xiaohong, deputy director of Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Dujiangyan City Committee.  Full story