A practical handbook for beating street vendors

Source: Danwei

Why are chengguan so brutal?

City administration enforcement squads (城管) have an abysmal reputation. Tasked with checking permits and keeping street vendors from setting up unlicensed stalls, their methods frequently result in violent altercations that sometimes land rule-breakers in the hospital or morgue. In the ongoing debate over how to pull these squads into line, chengguan are often depicted as uneducated, short-tempered brutes who don't know any better.

However, a textbook that has been the focus of considerable online attention over the past few days suggests that chengguan are being taught to use violence in certain situations when carrying out their duties. An article in today's Southern Metropolis Daily discusses the online controversy and speaks to the Nanjing-based chengguan who first posted images from the book online ..... more

This is typical in China. If you're a somebody the law is in your favour. If you're a nobody then the law is against you. The official handbook is just a cover.