Sichuan schools corruption scandal

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The extent of the earthquake
See also: Collapse of schools in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake

Sichuan schools corruption scandal arose following the high number of collapsed school structures during the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, in the People's Republic of China. Despite attempts by the Chinese government to downplay or even suppress[1] the criticism, which emanated especially from grieving parents,[2] the scandal continued to gain momentum throughout May and June of 2008.

Claims of corruption

The grieving parents and critical journalists pointed out that "hundreds of schools collapsed instantly — even newly constructed ones — while older buildings nearby were often unscathed."[3] This, in turn, has led to allegations of corruption on the part of Education Ministry officials and contractors who were said to be complicit in constructing the school buildings dangerously below government-mandated standards, while pocketing the remaining surplus.[3] On May 26, Wang Xuming, a spokesman for the Education Ministry, stated that the ministry would complete a reassessment of school buildings in quake zones and that those who had cut corners on school construction would be “severely punished.”[4] Some parents protested what they argued, one month after the event, amounts to government inaction.[5]

Factors in building collapse

The earthquake has caused collapse of more than 6.5 million buildings and damages to 23 million more. Four factors determine the damage to a particular building, according to geologist LIU Jie (Chinese: 刘杰; pinyin: Líu Jié), Director of Earthquake Prediction Department of (China's) Center for Seismic Monitoring Station Network under the China Earthquake Administration (CEA), who arrived in quake zone the same day of the main quake. Besides the quake's magnitude and intensity in the area, location of the building plays an important role. In some towns Liu surveyed, all buildings sitting on the earthquake fault line collapsed, while buildings tens of meters away did not. A building's structure also plays a role. Buildings with larger spans tend to collapse more easily. The fourth factor is the quality of the building. If a building's designed fortification intensity is above the quake's intensity at the location, the collapse of a building can be definitively attributed to its engineering quality, Liu explained. On the other hand, if the quake's intensity exceeds the designated code, it would be hard to determine whether the engineering quality is the deciding factor of its collapse.[6]

Modes of building collapse

Despite these factors, some civil engineers in China expressed a different view and joined the public in criticizing the initial official attribution of school collapses. According to a news network Finance and Economics based in Beijing, China, "they pointed out that earthquake (intensity) exceeding the designed resistance does not mean that buildings built to quality specifications will definitely collapse. Even when they collapse, there exist different modes of collapses; (building collapses) do not necessarily lead to such heavy human casualties."[7]

Collapse of a building may be brittle or ductile. If a building is built to seismic design specifications, according to a Chinese civil engineer's blog, it will bend and deform yet not collapse immediately, allowing time for people inside to escape. This did not seems to be the case in Wenchuan, where large number of buildings collapsed momentarily.

Additionally, civil engineers generally understand the intensity code in seismic design signifies the minimum resistance to earthquakes.

Buildings strictly built to the specifications of civil planning would not collapse during an earthquake. Any building that collapsed instantaneously must not have conformed to civil planning. Either the design was unfit, or the engineering was unfit.[8]

— LIANG Wei (Chinese: 梁伟; pinyin: Liáng Wěi), Executive Vice President of the Urban Planning Design and Research Institute of Tsinghua University

Seismic fortification for schools in the quake zone

Post-quake survey indicated the intensity near the epicenter of the earthquake to be XI liedu,[9] far exceeding the seismic fortification intensity of VII liedu assigned to Wenchuan, Sichuan in GB 500011-2001, a national standard for seismic design published in 2001.[10] Beichuan, center of the other XI-liedu area, had been zoned for VI liedu. (Zoning for Wenchuan, Beichuan and several other cities in Sichuan were subsequently revised to VIII liedu, the second highest rating in the standard.[11])

GB50223-2004, the national standard for classification of civil siesmic fortification before the earthquake, specified Class B for schools exceeding 600 in capacity, kindergartens and child care centers exceeding 200, meaning they must be built to at least 1 liedu higher than the zoned seismic fortification intensity of the area. However, it contained a provision to allow low-rise (3 stories and lower) schools to be built to meet the area's fortification intensity (Class C).[12] (The government rushed a revision to the standard after the Wenchuan earthquake. GB 50223-2008 has removed both the provision regarding capacity and the one regarding height to require all schools to meet Class B.[13])

In perspective, Yingxiu Primary School had a collapsed 4-story building built in 1999, where 3/4 of the 473 students were dead,[14] whereas Xuankou Middle School had several collapsed buildings from 3 to 4 stories built in 2006, where more than 80% of the 1,200+ students stayed alive.[15] Both schools are located in the town of Yingxiu, Wenchuan nearly at the epicenter of the main quake. Beichuan Middle School in Beichuan where 80% of buildings collapsed had two collapsed 5-story buildings completed in 1998 that were once named "high quality buildings," killing nearly half of its 2,000+ students.[16][17] Following GB50223-2004, Xuankou Middle School should have been built to resist VII + I liedu in seismic intensity. Beichuan Middle School and Yingxiu Primary School could have passed with fortification intensity of VII liedu had they been built after 2004; but because they were built before the publication of even GB 500011-2001, they could be using older standards or none at all.[18]

Attempt to interfere with survey

In justifying the relatively long time CEA used to produce the intensity diagram of the Wenchuan earthquake, Vice President of International Association for Earthquake Engineering XIE Lili (Chinese: 谢礼立; pinyin: Xiè Lǐlì) who was a member of the survey team indicated that "some (local government) may want to make more serious estimations of earthquake damage, so they could obtain more compensation,"[19] hinting attempts to interfere with the survey. The same news article quoted persons in the know who suggested that another motivation for attempted interference would be to boost intensity in order to evade responsibility for not following seismic design codes. Despite later denial by CEA that the published intensity reflected such interference, MA Zongjin (Chinese: 马宗晋; pinyin: Mǎ Zōngjìn), Chairman of the National Expert Committee for Wenchuan Earthquake who is also the Chairman of the National Expert Committee for Disaster Prevention, openly confirmed that "some local workers wanted to increase (report of) local damages or seismic intensity"[20] in a press conference sponsored by the State Council State Council Information Office of the PRC.

Suppression of dissent

In July 2008, Local governments in southwest China’s quake-ravaged Sichuan Province began a coordinated campaign to hush up angry parents whose children died during the earthquake through monetary contracts. If the parents refused, officials threatened that they would receive nothing. Although Chinese officials have advocated a policy of openness in time before the Olympic Games, the pressure on parents to sign demonstrates that officials are determined to create a facade of public harmony rather than investigate into the corruption or negligence of the construction of schools. The payment amounts vary by school but are roughly the same. In Hanwang, parents were offered a package valued at 8,800 USD in cash and a per-parent pension of nearly 5,600 USD. Many parents said they signed the contract, even if they were still upset at the terms and angry at the lack of any real investigation. Furthermore, officials have used traditional methods of silencing: riot police officers have broken up protests by parents; the authorities have set up cordons around the schools; and officials have ordered the Chinese news media to stop reporting on school collapses.[21]

On June 12, a BBC journalist was briefly detained in Dujiangyan due to "danger of further aftershocks," and was advised to vacate the city.[22] On June 17, a Hong-Kong-based human rights group reported that a retired professor, Zeng Hongling, was detained for "subversion" after publishing a critical essay titled ""My Personal Experience in the Earthquake."[23] Chinese human right activist Huang Qi was also detained.[24] On June 20, two foreign journalists were detained for "working behind police cordons" at the site of a protest by parents in the town of Wufu.[25]

Scope

Main article: Casualties in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake

Over 7,000 schoolrooms collapsed in the course of the quake, mostly in rural areas,[26] leading to the death of nearly 5,000 students (though some parents believe the real figure is twice that officially cited[3]) and the injury of over 15,000 students.[3] The total death toll has approached 70,000 people, with 375,000 injuries. A month after the quake, nearly 20,000 still remain missing, while five million were rendered homeless.[27]

Awaited inquiry

Although the central government was initially praised([28][29]) for its response to the quake (especially in comparison to Myanmar's ruling military junta's blockade of aid during Cyclone Nargis), it has seen an erosion in confidence over the school construction scandal.[30][31]

On May 23, the government promised an inquiry into the matter.[32] On June 16, the Legal Daily announced that prosecutors were beginning a probe, possibly to be led by anti-corruption investigator, Hu Hong, which, in part, will investigate the collapse of ten schools in Shifang.[33][34] In the official press conference on September 4, MA Zongjin indicated that "We are still carefully thinking about and investigating this matter."[35]

Notes and References

  1. ^ "Police break up protest by parents of China earthquake victims", The Guardian, June 3, 2008
  2. ^ "Parents' anger still rising over schools' quake collapse", Associated Press via The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 13, 2008
  3. ^ a b c d "Beijing can't muzzle outrage over deadly collapsed schools", Globe & Mail, June 17, 2008
  4. ^ “China reiterates severe punishment for companies producing substandard building materials,” Xinhua, May 29, 2008, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-05/29/content_8279397.htm.
  5. ^ "Parents in uprising in China quake town", Associated Press via Sydney Morning Herald, June 12, 2008
  6. ^ "Experts explain Great Wenchuan Earthquake (权威详解汶川大地震)" (in Chinese). Sichuan Earthquake Administration (SCEA, 四川地震局). Retrieved 2008-08-05.
  7. ^ Zhang, Yingguang; Chen, Zhongxiaolu, Yang, Binbin (张映光 陈中小路 杨彬彬) (2008-06-03). "Collapse of schools were due to poor quality of buildings (学校倒塌缘于建筑质量过差)" (in Chinese). Finance and Economics (《财经》). Retrieved 2008-09-30.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Chinese: 他们指出，地震超过预计强度，并不意味着符合建筑质量标准的建筑物必然倒塌。即使倒塌，由于建筑质量的差异，也有不同的倒塌方式，并不意味着必然造成如此重大的人员伤亡。
  8. ^ Zhang, Yingguang; Chen, Zhongxiaolu, Yang, Binbin (张映光 陈中小路 杨彬彬) (2008-06-03). "Collapse of schools were due to poor quality of buildings (学校倒塌缘于建筑质量过差)" (in Chinese). Finance and Economics (《财经》). Retrieved 2008-09-30.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) Chinese: “如果按照建筑规划严格施工的建筑，在地震中并不会倒塌。凡是瞬间垮塌的房屋，肯定不符合建筑规划要求。要么设计不符合，要么施工不符合。”
  9. ^ "Intensity map of the M8.0 earthquake in Wenchuan (汶川8.0级地震烈度分布图)" (in Chinese). China Earthquake Administration (CEA). 2008-08-29. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
  10. ^ SAITO, Taiki (2008-05-13). "Earthquake design spectrum in Chinese Design Code" (PDF). International Institute of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering (IISEE). Retrieved 2008-09-29. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  11. ^ XU, Zhengzhong; WANG, Yayong; et al (徐正忠、王亚勇等) (2001). "Code for seismic design of buildings (GB 500011-2001) (partially revised in 2008), Appendix A ( 《建筑抗震设计规范》（GB 500011－2001） （2008 年局部修订） 附录 A 我国主要城镇抗震设防烈度、设计基本地震加速度和设计地震分组)" (in Chinese). Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of PRC (MOHURD, 中华人民共和国住房和城乡建设部). Retrieved 2008-09-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  12. ^ LIU, Yongguang (刘永光) (2005-10-12). "Common Class B and Class A buildings ([[simplified Chinese characters|Chinese]]: [[Category:Articles containing simplified Chinese-language text]]常见的乙类、甲类建筑)" (in Chinese). Water Resources Engineering Network (水利工程网). Retrieved 2008-09-30. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  13. ^ WANG, Yayong; DAI, Guoying (王亚勇 戴国莹); et al. (2008-07-30). "Standard for classification of seismic protection of building constructions (建筑工程抗震设防分类标准)" (MS-Word) (in Chinese). General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine (AQSIQ) and Ministry of Housing ande Urban-Rural Development (MOHURD) of PRC. Retrieved 2008-09-30. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Explicit use of et al. in: |author= (help); External link in |publisher= (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ "Principal of Yingxiu Primary School hears cry for help during dreams ([[simplified Chinese characters|Chinese]]: [[Category:Articles containing simplified Chinese-language text]]映秀小学校长梦中听见救命声)" (in Chinese). New Capical Newspaper via People.com.cn (人民网转载《新京报》). 2008-05-21. Retrieved 2008-09-30. {{cite news}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  15. ^ "Xuankou Middle School in Yingxiu: 1,200 students and teachers dug potatoes to feed themselves (映秀镇漩口中学：1200名师生挖土豆充饥)" (in Chinese). Southern Weekend (《南方周末》). 2008-05-25. Retrieved 2008-09-30.
  16. ^ "Eye witnesses of the earthquake disaster in Beichuan Middle School, Sichuan ([[simplified Chinese characters|Chinese]]: [[Category:Articles containing simplified Chinese-language text]]四川北川中学震灾纪实)" (in Chinese). bczx.changhong.com. Retrieved 2008-10-01. {{cite web}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  17. ^ "Executive Vice Mayor of Mianyang: (We) shall investigate qualify of buildings in Beichuan Middle School ([[simplified Chinese characters|Chinese]]: [[Category:Articles containing simplified Chinese-language text]]绵阳常务副市长：将鉴定北川中学教学楼质量)" (in Chinese). First Finance and Economics Daily (《第一财经日报》) via Sina.com. 2008-05-26. Retrieved 2008-10-01. {{cite news}}: URL–wikilink conflict (help)
  18. ^ Standards cited in this article do not contain provisions about mandatory seismic retrofit.
  19. ^ LI, Jun (李军) (2008-09-01). "CEA formally releases intensity diagram of the Wenchuan earthquake (中国地震局正式公布汶川地震烈度分布图)" (in Chinese). Financial and Economic News (《财经报》). Retrieved 2008-09-30. Chinese: 有的受灾地区可能希望将地震破坏程度评估得严重一些，这样可以多争取补助；
  20. ^ "Direct damage of the Great Wenchuan Earthquake amounts to RMB 84.51 trillion (汶川大地震直接损失８４５１亿)" (in Chinese). Noon News based on Xinhua News (新闻午报据新华社北京9月4日电). 2008-09-04. Retrieved 2008-09-30. Chinese: 一些地方的工作人员，都希望把地方的灾害损失或者地震烈度提高一下
  21. ^ Wong, Edward, "China Presses Hush Money on Grieving Parents," New York Times, July 24, 2008, http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/24/world/asia/24quake.html
  22. ^ "Shutting us out?", James Reynolds writing on the BBC Blog Network, June 13, 2008
  23. ^ "China detains quake school critic - rights group", Reuters, June 17, 2008
  24. ^ "A new China appears amid quake rubble", Los Angeles Times, June 17, 2008
  25. ^ "Parents wait for answers on quake school", Associated Press via Google, June 20, 2008
  26. ^ "China anger over 'shoddy schools' ", BBC News Online, May 15, 2008
  27. ^ "Parents of China quake victims express anger", Associated Press via Google, June 12, 2008
  28. ^ "China's government praised for easing media restrictions", Bureau of International Information Programs, May 20, 2008
  29. ^ "Mourning rallies Chinese behind quake relief", Deutsche Presse-Agentur via Monsters and Critics, May 19, 2008
  30. ^ "In Chinese town, quake shakes faith in school construction", Cable News Network, May 18, 2008
  31. ^ "School quake scandal: Bereaved parents accuse China government of allowing shoddy construction", Toronto Sun, June 5, 2008
  32. ^ "Chinese govt promises inquiry into shoddy construction", The World Today via abc.net.au, May 23 ,2008
  33. ^ "China prosecutors join quake school collapse probe", Reuters via International Herald Tribune, June 16, 2006
  34. ^ "UNICEF external situation report China earthquake", UNICEF via ReliefWeb, June 17, 2008
  35. ^ "MA Zongjin: Responsibility of school collapses in Wenchuan earthquake still under investigation (马宗晋：汶川地震倒塌校舍责任问题仍在调查)" (in Chinese). State Council State Council Information Office via SINA.com. 2008-09-04. Retrieved 2008-09-30. Chinese: 我们还在仔细地思考和调查这个问题。
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