Senior CPC official calls for strong action against gangsters

BEIJING, May 23 (Xinhua) -- A senior official of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has called for strong action against gangsters across the country.

Guo Shengkun, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks Wednesday at a meeting of the leading group for the national anti-gang campaign.

"If the people's sense of security cannot be guaranteed, then there is no talk of a moderately prosperous society," he noted, asking for action directed at gangsters in areas and fields that concern people the most.

Corruption behind cases should be rooted out, and "protective umbrellas" -- officials who shelter criminal organizations by concealing their crimes and shielding them from punishment -- should be shown no tolerance, he said.

Guo called for implementation of guidelines from the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, and the ministries of public security and national security.

He also stressed that eradicating the base of gangsters is a must-win battle, and innovation in social governance at the community level should help stop the influence of gangsters from expanding. Enditem