Southwest China's Yunnan Province has become a popular gateway
into hiding for corrupt Chinese officials, reports Thursday's
Legal Daily.
An increasing number of officials wanted by the Chinese
authorities for economic crimes are fleeing the country by crossing
the Yunnan border into Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam.
There are a number of escape routes, since Yunnan shares 4,060
kilometers of border with these three countries, one fifth of
China's total land border length.
"For criminals, Yunnan has a favorable geographical position
from which to flee the country," Wang Yafeng, vice-director of
Yunnan's Anti-corruption Bureau, said.
Statistics from the Yunnan Provincial government show that
Yunnan has arrested 204 suspects plotting to flee the country since
1998, including 34 who had fled to other countries.
Up until May 2006, there were 800 suspects wanted for economic
crimes at large overseas. They are accused of embezzling nearly 70
billion yuan (US$875 million), according to the Ministry of Public
Security.
Wang added that corrupt officials also chose to seek asylum in
the United States, Britain and Canada in particular, as well as in
developing countries in Africa and Latin America.
Wang said the Yunnan Provincial Public Security Department had
strengthened its measures in tracking down these suspects by
carrying out more inspections at airports and at border points.
The provincial government has also signed several agreements
with Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam to track down suspects.
(Xinhua News Agency February 16, 2007)