CIVIL SERVANTS IN YONGSHENG COUNTY, Southwest China's Yunnan province, were reportedly forced by the local government to make poverty alleviation donations of about 11.8 million yuan ($1.7 million) in total. Beijing News commented on Saturday:

As a national-level poverty-stricken county, it is right for the Yongsheng government to give priority to the fight against poverty. But that cannot be done at the expense of local public servants, some of whom had to borrow money so they could afford to make their donations.

For the Yongsheng poverty alleviation authorities, soliciting financial support for the underprivileged is their job, yet that does not justify them forcing government workers to make donations of a certain amount. They have no right to abuse their power under whatever name. The new Charity Law enacted on Sept 1 forbids forced donations