civil society - Petition system needs revamp

Only 0.2 percent of the petitions received by the central government in Beijing from its citizens has any effect, is one of the more shocking conclusions in a detailed overview by ESWN of the current petitioning system. Despite that, many citizens make the traditional way to Beijing to complain, according to some reports in September 3.1 million.
But even if it is only a safety valve for people to let off steam, such a small success rate might work counterproductive.
"According to reports, the Chinese authorities are thinking about revising the 1995 National Petition Regulations," says one of the quoted media reports. "Earlier, a report from the Chinese Academy of Science titled "The Flaws Of The Petitioning System and Their Political Consequences" also got the attention of the upper echelon in China. According to information, the Chinese officials believe that the petition system has reached a stage where it must be reformed. The Chinese government will follow the instructions from Hu Jintao and set up a new petitioning system."