A LOCAL government in southern China has sacked six officials who were photographed dozing off at a meeting and whose images were published online as part of a broader crackdown on bureaucratic indolence and corruption, writes Clifford Coonan
The officials were attending an event in Hunan province to mark 30 years of economic reform, a key anniversary for the ruling Communist Party and not one at which to be caught napping.
They included some company managers and some senior cadres at the meeting in Hengyang, the Beijing News reported. "The sackings are intended to strictly enforce discipline and clear up the bad impact this had on society," the city authorities said in a statement quoted by the newspaper.
There was a certain amount of sympathy among webizens for the dozing cadres, particularly as these meetings can often run on and on, with long speeches hailing achievements of the party and going into elaborate detail about Marxism and Leninism and their role in building the China of today.
Some web commentators said it was up to the speakers to improve the quality of their speeches rather than blame those who fall asleep at the meetings.
Last month an official in the booming southern city of Shenzhen was fired after photos and video clips of his drunken behaviour, in which he appeared to proposition a young girl, appeared online. More than 150,000 government officials were penalised last year for various disciplinary infractions.