Mute Cops 2.0?

The Guangzhou Police is now tweeting on Sina Microblogs, but they’re not allowing people to comment. When the cops were asked, Propanganda Department chief Lu Zhengguang blasted out this bit of familiar officialspeak: “In regards to comments, as a new item, we need a complete process. We are still in the process of finding a way.” Another bit of govspeak: “The microblogging service of the public security organs is to give information about security to everyone; it is not for everyone to comment on. If you have something to say you may say it, but the public security organs is not intended for people comment on.”

Uh. Right. Remember this guy?

Our great chairman Mao Zedong’s classic refrain: serve the people (為人民服務). If you don’t allow the cops to be talked to… well, what’s the point? Are you still serving those folks out there?

A closer look reveals just how one-sided the conversation is: through the forest of ideogrammes one sees little other than one-sided propaganda, and… let’s see… only three replies. It’s only following 27 people, while 1,840 folks (including Shrek, if you look closely at the screenshot), seems to be following the service.

Do these guys have a UFO Management Department?

Meanwhile, the lingo there is nothing but Mandarinspeak. Leading commentator North Wind (Bei Feng) has lambasted the cops for failing to us “people lingo” (大白话), questioning why folks would follow the Guangzhou cops if they didn’t talk the talk (of the masses, of course).

Update: They are finally allowing people to comment… as of yesterday (May 19, 2010). Guess they cave into the vox populi…