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Fighting fraud

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-23 08:16

With all four suspects now in police custody, doubts surrounding the attack on academic fraud buster Fang Zhouzi have been cleared. Conspiracy theorists who portrayed the case as a publicity ploy created by Fang himself should now eat crow.

It is the motivation behind their mudslinging that is worth scrutinizing. Many had shared the premonition that something similar might happen to Fang, sooner or later. Since fraud is becoming a normal phenomenon and a tested-and-true and popular shortcut to fame, profit and power in China's academic circles, Fan is destined to tread on some people's toes.

And he seems to have a particular interest in people who have a halo over their heads. In the past few months, for instance, he has laid bare former president of Microsoft China Tang Jun's questionable claims about his academic background, and exposed the "pseudo-science" preached by popular "masters" of traditional health-enhancing techniques, Zhang Wuben and Li Yi.

We were not at all surprised when Fang was attacked, though we had hardly anticipated he would be physically harmed. The attack did take us aback when police lifted the veil of mystery, and the alleged mastermind turned out to be the head of the department of urological surgery in a major research hospital. He hired goons to attack Fang, because he believed Fang's exposure of his alleged fraud had prevented his election as an academician to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

If proved, it will be a despicable show of cowardice and desperation. We have seen many cases where power has assumed the final say in academic disputes. Violence, however, is unprecedented in our recent history.

If this is the first of its kind, we wish it would also be the last. Considerate supporters have donated money and hired bodyguards for Fang. With the suspects in custody, we hope Fang will be safe now and find it unnecessary to be escorted by bodyguards in this generally safe and peaceful country. He is dealing with intellectuals after all, not underworld thugs.

We appreciate Fang's statement that the attack would not dampen his spirits to fight against academic fraud. And we hope he will no longer be alone.This country badly needs more such whistle-blowers so that liars and cheats have no place to hide.

Fang said he would not give up. The public should also join the fight until we see what Fang described as the "ideal scenario" come into being, that is, a day when we have an official and trustworthy channel to investigate reports of academic frauds.