Government officials burn books in clean-up drive at local Chinese library

Government officials in a northwestern county in China faced charges of punishment after they burnt books outside a library in a clean-up drive. The images of the burning books went viral on social media and sparked concern about the destruction of cultural and intellectual heritage. A screenshot of an article about a clean-up at a state-run library in Zhenyuan, in Ghansu province, has stormed the Chinese social media. The video shows two women setting a pile of books and papers on fire. The library has completely wiped out and destroyed illegal books, religious publications, and especially books and articles with biases, according to the local media.

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Government to hold an investigation

The government released a statement on Monday and said that there would be a complete investigation into the matter and the responsible employees will be seriously held accountable. It said that the employees set ablaze 65 illegal books in the small plaza located opposite to the library. However, it did not mention what punishments the employees would face nor mentioned the details about the destroyed books. The Ministry of Education in October urged the school libraries in the nation to avoid such books that damage the unity of the country, sovereignty or territory.

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The ministry said that it damages societal stability and upset society's order. It also added that it violates the party's guidelines and policies, defames the party, country’s leaders and heroes.

Meanwhile, a herd of around 500 goats has helped save the Ronald Reagan library of California from the wildfire on October 30 after the omnivores earlier this year fed on the highly combustible scrub surrounding the hilltop of the Simi Valley complex. The hungry goats grazed on the vegetation near the property that would have sparked the fires. The officials said that along with the firefighters and the aircraft crews, a hungry herd of around 500 goats had helped prevent the library from fire.

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