| Crime of mafia-style organizations is illegal and criminal activity which causes great damage to economic, social and living order. Crime of mafia-style organizations is one of the most serious crimes in the world, it is also kind of a cancer for a civilized society. Since its appearance in late 80s of 20th century, it witnessed rapid development momentum in China, and caused a great threat to China’s social development, production and life of Chinese people. From a legal point of view, mafia-style organization is organized anti social crime, it is not a political organization with certain political objectives. However, crime of mafia-style organization is not merely a social issue, it also has profound social and political causes and background. The influence and harm of mafia-style organizations are not limited to economic and social fields, they has damaging effects on government management, operation of political power and political life. In this regard, the author analyzed 20 typical mafia-style criminal organizations in Chongqing city in recent years, to reveal types, characteristics and development of mafia-style criminal organizations. The author also analyzed causes for mafia-style crime, resulting negative effects and corresponding solutions from a political perspective. Furthermore, an analysis was carried out on how to eliminate economic, social and political conditions for the appearance and existence of mafia-style organizations, corresponding suggestions were also proposed on how to strengthen China’s political construction and governance system. Based on the analysis of existing sample, currently mafia-style criminal organizations in Chongqing city have the following typical characteristics:in terms of organizational structure, mafia-style criminal organizations in Chongqing city mainly consist of the unemployed, landless peasants, as well as a large number of other people who are released from prison and can not integrated into the society. And those who are released from prison become leaders of mafia organizations; In terms of form of activity, violence, monopoly and corporatization are their typical characteristics; In terms of scope of influence, China’s mafia-style criminal organizations are mainly engaged in traditional illegal fields, at the same time, they have also been engaged in traffic service, mining, land acquisition, house demolition, construction, catering and entertainment and other fields, including guarantee and debt recovery; In terms of evolutionary trend, Chinese mafia-style criminal organizations have changed from small scale to syndicate operation, and their organizational structure features institutionalization, their influence begins to reach political realm.Impact and harm of mafia-style criminal organizations are not only limited to economic and social fields, they also have significant and profound impacts on government management, power operation and political life. As for mafia-style criminal organizations in Chongqing city, their impacts on political regime and politics are mainly in the following aspects:First, they offer bribes to some government officials and build close relationships with them; secondly, some local mafia-style criminal organizations are rampant, they constantly deprive legitimate power of the government in the society; thirdly, they are against legitimate regime. Some mafia-style organizations challenge grass-root political power and carry out violent confrontation with their own resources, some local governments gradually lose their political power. Finally, they carry out political manipulation. With increasing economic strength, influencing scope and impact of mafia organizations, they begin to directly control grass-root government organizations. Political power is of great importance for a country. Ordered governance of a country and the society depends on benign operation of legal regime. Organization with underworld society nature and its crime causes great damage to political organizations and their normal operation, and even public governance in the society. Thus, mafia-style criminal organizations and their criminal activities not only have negative impacts on economic and social life, and foundation of a state and society.Mafia-style criminal organizations and their criminal activities have existed in the history for a long time, their sources were complex. According to the analysis of mafia-style criminal organizations in Chongqing city, the development of Chinese mafia-style criminal organizations is related to China’s rapid economic and social transition. During the process of marketization and social transformation, traditional economic and social order is broken, people change their awareness quickly, legal system is not perfect, the government does a poor job, these offer conditions for the development of mafia-style criminal organizations and their criminal activities. In the process of marketization, income gap expands, which causes psychological unbalance among a number of people and makes them seize social wealth through violent behaviors. Some disadvantaged and poor people have a strong sense of deprivation and desire to make money quickly, thus committing criminal behaviors. Some people rely on underworld organizations due to lack of normal employment opportunities, social guarantee and living security.At the same time, in the process of rapid social transformation, social mobility, personal freedom and independence increase over time, original social organizations and grass-roots organizations lose resource monopoly and distribution rights and social control ability, all of these provide opportunities for the growth of mafia organizations. In period of rapid social transition, Chinese government and its governance system is also in reform and transition period, new government organization, function and measures have not been fully established. Some legal systems are imperfect, public participation and social supervision are inadequate, punishment on mafia organizations is insufficient. Some public departments are weak and take sidelines when dealing with mafia gangs, and may even protect them, public power has been seriously abused. In some places, local governments and organizations are responsible for land acquisition and resettlement and many other "difficult and dangerous" tasks, due to limited resources and controlling ability, some governments even rely on mafia organizations in completing some dangerous tasks. These not only offer mafia organizations with opportunities of participating in public administration matters, but also provide conditions for them to strengthen control on the society and grass-roots government. It is in this process when money power exchange, abuse of power, evil deed and other bad phenomena take place, which facilitates the development of mafia organizations. We can say that it is weakening of public power and power abuse that offer favorable conditions for the growth of mafia organizations, and their development indicates political decline.Mafia organizations commit criminal behaviors, they are major target for Chinese government. Chongqing government has crack down on them for a long time, but at the same time, serious political and economic consequences take place in this process due to abuse of power. Because mafia organizations complex social and economic background, as well as profound political root, they are related to social contradictions which occur during social and economic transition, as well as system reform and political construction, therefore, we must strengthen legal construction, improve governance system, enhance governance capacity, and eliminate growth conditions of underworld organizations.First, it is necessary to improve governance system and governance ability. After the reform and opening, mafia organizations reappear and become gradually rampant in China, which is related to lack of corresponding systems in process of economic and social transformation. In this regard, accelerating the construction of new governance system, improving governance ability, and promoting the modernization of governance system and governance ability are the only ways for combating and preventing criminal activities of mafia organizations. Mafia originally develop from grass roots, their behaviors directly threaten people’s economic and social life, therefore, in the construction of new governance system, the most urgent task is to establish and improve urban and rural grassroots governance system. Grassroots governance is the basis for national governance. In particular, we need to note that, with China’s reform and opening up, urban and rural population witness large-scale flow, the society is becoming increasingly open, the disintegration of traditional urban and rural units, grass-roots organizations means that new grass-roots organizations and governance system which adapt to actual conditions in China are urgently needed.Perfect management system at grass-roots level can destroy underworld organizations at their beginning. From a practical point of view, new community is a feasible choice. It is necessary to further promote urban and rural community construction, improve community governance structure, build new social organizations, and lay a solid foundation for orderly management of the society, prevention and control of organized crimes of underworld organizations. Secondly, it is of great importance to enhance public services, promote social justice. A large number of investigations demonstrate that mafia organizations consist of members with complex background, they are mainly composed of the unemployed, and released persons. Therefore, in the process of rapid social differentiation, we need to pay attention to living state of vulnerable groups and marginalized groups in the society, strengthen care and support on vulnerable groups and marginalized groups, offer them with more public service and public support in terms of employment, medical service, education, housing and other aspects. From a macro point of view, we should focus on improving social security and people’s livelihood, promoting social fairness and justice, further deepening reform of social system, reforming income distribution system, standardizing order of income distribution, improving income distribution and control system and corresponding policy systems and mechanisms. Furthermore, it is necessary to establish property information system, protect lawful incomes, regulate excessively high income, regulate the recessive income, ban illegal income, increase income of low-income groups, enlarge the proportion of medium income groups, reduce the gap of income distribution, promote common prosperity and the equalization of basic public services, thus eliminating conditions for the existence of underworld organizations.Third, improve legal system, strictly carry out governance in accordance with law. Legal system is basic principle for criminal punishment and behavior regulation. Perfect legal system is the legal basis for underworld organizations crackdown and fundamental measure for eradicating evil forces. In recent years, our country has constantly developed and strengthened relevant regulations against organized crimes of underworld organizations, which offers the basis for underworld organizations crackdown. From a practical point, some terms should be refined. The following measures should be taken into account:1. Underworld organizations’fine should be determined according to their illegal income, completely destroy their illegal economic source; 2. Establish and improve system of criminal behavior reporting, and encourage victims and the masses to report criminal suspects and their behaviors.3. Strengthen the work of protecting informants, and give material rewards to reporter; 4.Further develop and improve market laws and regulations, provide guidelines for normal market competition and trade.5. Strengthen financial supervision, prevent "money laundering" behavior of underworld organizations, so as to stop their economic channels.Fourth, focus on key areas, severely purge corruption. We must seize key points and highlight difficult points. This means that it is necessary to crack down underworld organizations in land acquisition, project bidding, mineral resources, private lending and other fields. Secondly, inmates released from prison and social idlers with criminal tendencies are main source of mafia organizations. In this regard, it is necessary for public security organs, grass-roots organizations, enterprises and institutions concerned to cooperate in helping those people and reducing the possibility of their further criminal activities. Third, we need to fight against underworld organizations. Many cases show that a number of mafia organizations only carry out activities and obtain resources, as well as commit criminal activities through legitimate companies, enterprises, associations and other forms. Therefore, we must strengthen the supervision on relevant companies and severely punish gangs and mafia businesses. Finally, the reason why evil forces develop rapidly in some places is related to corrupt government officials. Because of support from some parry cadres and local judicial officers, they do not care about law. To this end, in "anti-crime crime" struggle, we must also fight corrupt officials who deserve serious punishment.Fifth, it is of great importance to expand public participation and strengthen social supervision. Typical characteristic of underworld organization crime is antisocial. One of the most effective way for combating underworld organization crime is open punishment. Effective social supervision system can both wipe both underworld organizations and corrupt officials out. In this regard, it is necessary to further improve anti-corruption laws and regulations system, strengthen corruption punishment and prevention, prevent conflicts of interest, further promote open government operation; At the same time, it is necessary to "strengthen restriction and supervision on administrative power", "strengthen supervision on judicial activities", these play safeguarding roles in regulating operation of power, prevent abuse of power in fighting underworld organizations. More freedom of speech should be given to media so that then can reveal corrupt officials and social evil; of course, the public should be encouraged to supervise operation of public power. Modern information technologies are to be fully used to provide convenience and safety for those who offer important clues.Finally, strengthen cultural construction and improve ethical standards. In terms of cultural orientation, we must first fully understand contradiction, antagonism and incompatibility between advanced social culture, political culture, and illegal, backward mafia culture. At the same time, we must vigorously promote the former to stop mafia culture and eliminate its impact on social and civic evil. In addition, we need to strengthen popularity and education of socialist democracy and rule of law culture, cultivate democracy, rule of law and political consciousness of modern citizens, and resist influence and impact of residual feudal culture, rule of man concept, money worship, mafia culture. In terms of specific measures, firstly, it is necessary to guide the masses to establish correct life outlook, values and world view, so as to avoid influence of decadent feudal ideo logy, western money worship and mafia organization. Secondly, take effective measures to stop mafia, gambling, drug-taking, jurisprudence, violence and other harmful phenomena, and destroy related books, magazines, audio and video products, as well as severely crack down on and resist vulgar, kitsch and backward culture; Thirdly, carry out 24-hour and comprehensive supervision on KTV, bar, club, cafe, video game city, bath room, massage place and other business places in which underworld-nature organizations often appear, so as to build a better social environment; Finally, we should pay attention to improving national education system, the education should not only contain general educa tion and occupational education, but also highlight political consciousness education, legal concept education, occupational ethics education, cultural and moral education, as well as other aspects.In short, underworld organizations and their criminal activities have profound social and political causes, they are especially related to sharp economic social transformation and change. "Reform from the bottom" is needed in fighting underworld organizations and their criminal activities. Only by establishing management system, improving legal system and market system, strengthening public management and public service ability, regulating public power and behaviors of officials, strengthening legal and social supervision, can we prevent public power weakening, cracking and alienation, and make underworld organizations lose survival space. To eradicate survival conditions of underworld organizations, we have to improve distribution system, and strengthen support to the disadvantaged, as well as promote social fairness and justice. |
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