Amid rash of suicides, it’s time to boost morale of Chinese bureaucrats: by Wang Xiangwei in South China Morning Post July 21, 2016

The apparent suicides of at least three officials last week once again highlighted another “new normal” emerging in the mainland’s massive bureaucracy – an increasing number of suicides and “abnormal deaths”.
Last Sunday alone, within six hours, two high-ranking officials in Guangdong were found dead in apparently unrelated suicides. Liu Xiaohua, 57, a deputy secretary general of the provincial Communist Party committee, hanged himself at home in Guangzhou, while Xiao Bibo, 47, the female head of the bureau in charge of protecting secrets in Shenzhen’s Yantian district, jumped from a bridge.
On Tuesday morning, a ¬45-year-old official from Gansu province’s taxation bureau, identified only by her surname Yang, jumped from her eighth floor office, just 13 minutes after coming to work.
While official reports of their deaths were short and lacked details, online speculation and overseas media linked them to the ongoing anti-graft campaign that has put officials under intense scrutiny and on edge.
Since President Xi Jinping came to power in late 2012, the number of officials killing themselves or dying from “abnormal reasons” – such as drowning in rivers or binge drinking – increased to 120. That’s almost double the 68 reported from 2003 to 2012 when Hu Jintao was president.
Aimed at tackling the corruption that permeates all levels of government and threatens the party’s rule, Xi’s anti-graft drive has put tens of thousands of officials under investigation and many have been given lengthy jail sentences.
The campaign shows no sign of winding down after more than three years. The party frequently sends anti-graft investigators throughout the country, inviting officials to report on their peers.
Media reports claim many of the 120 apparent suicides or abnormal deaths involved officials who suspected they were the targets of investigations. Apparently, they chose to end their own lives to avoid the humiliation of investigations and to protect their families.
Anti-graft investigations are usually handled by the party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, which can keep suspects incommunicado for interrogation in a secret location for as long as they like in a process known as Shuanggui. Once the investigators are satisfied with the evidence, they hand over to the prosecutors to pursue criminal charges.
China launches massive suicide survey after party officials’ deaths during graft crackdown
However, if an official dies before or during an investigation, the case will be closed and the family members can keep the stolen money if the official is indeed corrupt.
But going through those cases, it is very difficult to conclude all the officials who died were suspected of corruption.
In the case of the three last week, the families of both Liu and Xiao said they had suffered from depression and poor health.
As for the official from Gansu, the media reports said she left a brief note saying she was “too tired to work”. None of the reports suggested the three were under any investigation.
If past practice is any guide, authorities in Guangdong and Gansu will no doubt close the cases and move on. This is wrong.
Faced with the rising number of suicides and speculation linking them to corruption, the authorities should waste no time investigating and making public their results for two good reasons.
First, it would find the truth and end rampant speculation and conspiracy theories.
Second, it would help reduce the adverse effects of the high intensity anti-graft campaign and boost bureaucrats’ low morale.
While reports of such deaths elicit little sympathy from the mainland public – who, angry at widespread corruption, naturally assume almost all officials are corrupt – they have a demoralising effect on China’s massive bureaucracy, which is already in paralysis.
Anecdotal reports suggest many bureaucrats are reticent to undertake normal duties for fear of arousing the attention of anti-graft investigators. Others may be neglecting duties deliberately to resist the campaign.
The paralysis makes it difficult for businessmen to seek normal meetings or project approvals. It has also resulted in capable officials leaving in droves to seek more lucrative private sector jobs.
To keep the bureaucracy running efficiently and boost bureaucrats’ morale, the top leadership should consider restarting the debate over appropriate remuneration packages for officials.
The anti-corruption campaign has largely closed off access to bribes and grey revenues, leaving them with salaries which are very low.
In the 1990s, the authorities toyed with learning from Singapore – paying high salaries to keep civil servants clean – but dropped the idea due to a lack of funds and ideological reasons.
The mainland has made great strides in deregulation, but the bureaucracy retains tremendous power over economic activities and the lives of the people.
How to boost bureaucrats’ morale is gaining importance as top leaders put greater pressure on them to undertake painful structural reforms to stem the slide in economic growth and steer the economy onto a more sustainable path. http://www.scmp.com/news/china/policies-politics/article/1977753/amid-rash-suicides-its-time-boost-morale-chinese