BI GUOCHANG, 65, former chief of the Heilongjiang Bureau of China National Radio, had to walk home in his underwear after swimming in the sea near Sanya, South China's Hainan province on Friday, because urban patrol officers confiscated his bike and clothes in a pavilion without notifying him, claiming they were "illegally stored". The officers involved have been suspended from work and the local publicity authorities also offered Bi a written apology. Xinhua News Agency urges all urban patrol officers to do their job in a more civilized manner:

According to China's relevant regulations on administrative penalties, urban patrol officers should inform those who misbehave what they have done wrong and how they are being held accountable, take note of their reasons, and provide the wrongdoer with a written notification of enforcement.

In Sanya's case, however, the local city patrol officers did not inform the 65-year-old swimmer of what he had done wrong. They also failed to return his belongings due to "traffic congestion", leaving him no choice but to walk home in only his underpants. This not only violated Bi's lawful rights, but also the basic rule of urban management, which is to educate as well as punish.