Hide-and-seek

Netizens use "hide-and-seek" to refer to an incident of a prison inmate who died during a game of hide-and-seek and describe authorities’ approach to investigations. Literally translated as “eluding the cat” (躲猫猫), the term erupted onto the online scene and became a popular Internet phrase among Chinese netizens in February 2009. Shanghai Translation Publishing House’s included the word in its latest edition of The Chinese-English Dictionary, one of China’s most authoritative Chinese-English dictionaries.

Police at Jinning Detention House in Yunnan Province originally reported that Li Qiaoming, a 24-year-old farmer, hit his head on the wall while playing hide-and-seek with other inmates in February 2009. Li died at a hospital four days later. The public swiftly questioned the explanation, speculating that Li had died from a police beating.

The government formed a 15-member independent committee that included five netizens and three reporters, but limited the extent of the inquiry. The committee was unable to reach any new conclusions about the death.

The official police investigation report, released a week later, said Li had been beaten to death by three other inmates while playing hide-and-seek. Three senior officials were removed from their posts for dereliction of duty in connection with the death.

Law experts in China maintain that Li’s death and the following "hide-and-seek" explanation suddenly becoming a national topic reflects the fact that the police are losing credibility because of the lack of transparency in detention centers.