A slew of activities that are normally performed out of free will are suspected of being induced by outside forces, turning an active act into a passive one. However, unlike regular cases, the identity of the "forces" that act on the subject is not clear. "Li was self-killed" is an oxymoron of Chinese characteristics. It implies that Li is dead, the authority claimed he killed himself, but many believed otherwise.
Such is the beauty of language. It defies grammatical rules and captures the nuances of public sentiment.
In December 2008, a reporter by the name Guan Jian went missing in Shanxi province while investigating the misappropriation of land. Was he arrested? If so, his family and employer should have been notified within 24 hours, which is legally mandatory. Inquired of his whereabouts, the police said they would "make all efforts humanly possible" to find him.
It was not until 14 days later that the local police revealed Guan was in their custody on a charge of bribery. So, for that period of two weeks, Guan was "bei" missing, meaning he was forced into a state that gave the semblance of going AWOL.
These incidents show the tug of war between those with power and those without it. Neither side dared to openly challenge the law, but wanted to have the law on their side, at least something that looked like it. Instead of hiring a bunch of thugs to kill a whistle-blower or a snail-house owner, one who guards his right to his property against incredible odds, which some real estate developers were accused of, those in powerful positions often put up a facade of holding up justice while violating it. Call it hypocrisy.
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