Netizens: Nonsense; Jinghong Public Security Bureau: Just an Initiative; Xishuangbanna Propaganda Department: Good Purpose
"The police must be able to sing more than three ethnic minority songs. If they fail the test, they will be penalized by having to stand guard at crossroads during weekends and attend remedial classes in the evenings until they pass." Recently, it was reported that the Jinghong Municipal Public Security Bureau of Xishuangbanna Prefecture issued such a regulation. Some people think it's "nonsensical" and "funny," while others believe it is an important way to find common language with the local people when working in ethnic minority areas, and it is worth promoting.
Reaction: Good Measure? Nonsense?
The reporter interviewed many citizens about the "singing folk songs" issue, and the most common response heard was "very nonsensical and funny." Most people who hold this view think that as police officers, doing their duties well is enough. If they are penalized for not being able to sing ethnic minority songs by having to stand guard at traffic intersections during the day on weekends, it wouldn't make sense.
This matter also sparked debate online. Netizens opposing the move posted comments saying that such measures were unsettling. However, some netizens expressed support: "If each of us can find a point of communication with our work targets, then our society will become more harmonious."
Commentator Zhou Zhonglin viewed the requirement for police to learn three ethnic songs as a way to find common language with their work targets. He wrote in an article: "Although this measure may seem peculiar, the idea behind Jinghong encouraging law enforcement officers to actively connect with the public deserves praise." He believed that singing songs and mine managers working shifts underground serve similar purposes - truly understanding the warmth and coldness of one’s work target, delving deep into their midst, blending with them, fundamentally caring for them, rather than always using official jargon, being high-handed, or employing simple and brutal methods.
Deputy Director of the Mengla County Public Security Bureau of Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Na Jianjun, said in an interview that Mengla police did not have such requirements, but "as police officers at the forefront of the bridgehead, there will be many opportunities to interact with ethnic minorities and conduct foreign receptions. If you can't sing, when asked to perform, you won't have anything impressive to offer, which would not help foster relationships and enhance understanding." He frankly stated that in ethnic minority regions, such requirements are neither funny nor harsh.
Clarification: Just an Initiative, No Formal Regulations
From the Jinghong Municipal Public Security Bureau, we learned that what the media reported as regulations were actually suggestions made by bureau leaders in meetings, without any formal documents being issued. Strictly speaking, they cannot even be considered regulations, at most only advocacy.
So why advocate that police officers should know how to sing three ethnic minority songs? The leadership of the Jinghong Municipal Public Security Bureau stated: "We do not require everyone to have the ability to perform singing, nor do we expect everyone to become a singer. But after learning to sing ethnic songs, you can make ethnic minority friends happy and turn them into friends."
Vice Minister of the Xishuangbanna Propaganda Department, Duan Jinhua, also believed that the purpose of this requirement was good. Those who see it as "harsh" have understood it too simply. He specifically wrote a blog post: "Many departments in Xishuangbanna encourage civil servants to 'speak ethnic languages, sing ethnic songs, and dance ethnic dances,' making police sing ethnic songs a highlight of the 'Police Camp Culture' project of the public security organs. This is a measure to strengthen the education of national conditions, provincial conditions, and municipal conditions for police officers, and to inspire them to firmly believe and love the border regions."
"Learning to use ethnic languages to promote the Party's lines, policies, and guidelines, communicating with all ethnic groups through ethnic songs, and showcasing the demeanor of public servants through ethnic dances, what is there to criticize? Isn’t the idea of the Jinghong Public Security Bureau to encourage police officers to blend with the masses worthy of promotion?" Duan Jinhua said that the rapid success of our party in ethnic minority areas in the past was due to those who spoke ethnic minority languages and sang ethnic minority songs, blending with the masses. Xishuangbanna is a world of song and dance, where ethnic minority compatriots learn to sing when they learn to speak and learn to dance when they learn to walk. Working in such a place requires understanding the language of the ethnic minorities. Xishuangbanna has many folk songs, such as "Let Me Understand Your Language" and "Flower Love," which are universally recognized as excellent songs.
Jiang Feng, Correspondent in Xishuangbanna (Yunnan Information Daily)