Maliciously harming natural heritage must incur criminal punishments

TWO TOURISTS RECENTLY entered the core zone of a national geo-park, which is a forbidden zone to travelers, in Zhangye, Northwest China’s Gansu province, leaving a large number of footprints on the Danxia landform mountain slopes. They boasted in a video they posted online that “destroying a 6,000-year-old masterpiece of the nature in person” feels “cool”. Guangming Daily comments:

After the video went viral, the two tourists’ irresponsible behavior attracted fierce and widespread criticism. Geo-park staff estimate that it will take at least 60 years for nature to repair the damage caused by the two visitors.

Reportedly, the two people have surrendered themselves to the police and admitted the error of their ways. They are certainly shrewd in choosing the lesser of two evils, as the punishment is only confined to fines ranging from 50,000 yuan ($7,317) to 200,000 yuan, according to the Tourist Attractions Regulations.

These are too lenient to deter others from such behavior, and disproportional to the damage inflicted on nature or places of historical interest.

If this kind of vandalism is not severely punished, there will be more instances of similar destructive behavior.

Although intentionally damaging scenic zones has already been criminalized, in principle at least, for a long time, the Criminal Law has only rarely been applied.

In practice, there are many cases of bad behavior damaging the natural attractions of scenic spots, but few people have been taken to court.

To put an end to the phenomena, the authorities should avoid attributing such behavior to immorality or ignorance, but strictly implement the law so as deal a blow that is heavy enough to act as a deterrent.

Therefore, the legislation and its enforcement should be strengthened so as to deter people from maliciously destroying nature.

Photos and videos of the incident have been widely posted and shared online, and information about the persons involved, including the past criminal record of the car driver, have also been spread online.

It seems that most people are on the side of the ebike rider, who has been detained, and they have little sympathy for the car driver who died. That’s because the car driver hit the ebike in the first place, and instigated an argument before threatening the rider with a knife.

Besides, more information shows that the driver had been sentenced to prison before. He had served at least five prison terms, with an accumulated period of 9.5 years, having previously been convicted of several violent crimes.

The ebike rider is to stand trial for the motorist’s death.

But, whatever the public thinks, the court must not let it influence the verdict. The court must base its judgment solely on the evidence and reach a verdict according to the law.

However, the local authorities should heed public opinion, which reveals that people feel insecure because they suspect the driver had links to criminal gangs and no one knows who will be next if they meet drivers like the one in the case.

In order to make people feel safe, the local police should echo the call of the top leadership and strike organized crime gangs if the case leads to any. Only when people feel secure will the criminal cases diminish.