Women going astray

Even while cracking down on prostitution in places such as nightclubs, the Ministry of Public Security has said that prostitutes deserve respect.

Its respect for this special group of people includes calling them “women going astray” rather than prostitutes.

In some areas of the country these women are humiliated with beatings or parades through streets. However, the Ministry of Public Security has said that the files of women who go astray should be kept secret and they should not be treated in a disrespectful manner.

The ministry will work with other institutions, such as the Ministry of Health and the All-China Women’s Federation to re-educate and redeem women who have taken a wrong step in their life. They are committed to protecting these women’s rights to health, their reputation and privacy.

The new attitude toward the “women going astray” is groundbreaking, it shows less contempt and exclusion. We read empathy in it.

But this change won’t eliminate prostitution, which is illegal in China.

Prostitution has a close affinity with a host of other important social issues, in particular crime, drugs, sexual equality, poverty and health.

Although there are exceptions, most prostitutes are women selling their services to men.

Prostitution is sometimes referred to as “the oldest profession”. The new approach in China to women in the “oldest profession” may help give them a new chance at life if they decide to give up the “business”.

Prostitution amounts to the denial of a women’s humanity. Crimes such as prostitution devalue a community.

Rounds of raids have been conducted to rid the nation of prostitution. But signs of success are not conspicuous. One of the reasons is that justice is not meted out to men who buy sex from “women going astray”.

We urge law enforcement officials across the country to continue an active investigation of all undesirable activities, including those crimes involving prostitution. Prostitution cannot and must not be allowed to continue in the nightclubs or any other location.

Liu Shaowu, a senior official with the Ministry of Public Security, announced that the police would keep a close eye on places of amusement — at least one undercover inspection a week.

Prostitution will never be eliminated in a society that refuses to acknowledge, much less discuss, the problem. While the Ministry of Pubic Security does not want to throw “women going astray” out of society, programs are needed to educate them to live with dignity.

1. crack down on/upon STH

2. go astray

3. be humiliated with STH bad

4. disrespectful [adj]

5. take a wrong step

6. be committed to Ving

7. groundbreaking [adj]

8. show less comtempt and exclusion

9. empathy

10. has/have a close affinity with STH = have a closer relationship with STH

11. be sometimes referred to as XXX

12. XXX amounts to XXX

13. devalue a society/community

14. rid XXX of XXX

15. signs of success are not conspicuous

16. be meted out to XXX

17. keep a close eye on XXX

Rules on demolition

It is weird that nothing has been heard about the amendments to the 2001 regulations on real estate demolition and relocation a year after the State Council started to solicit public opinions about its new proposals.

The State Council arranged for some scholars to discuss the revisions to the eight-year-old regulations, which are accused by many of granting undefined —and consequently unrestrained — license to local governments and developers to demolish and relocate urban structures in whatever way they choose.

The five scholars from Peking University, who wrote a letter to the State Council requesting amendments to the old regulations, said that some of the current regulations contradict the country’s property rights law and urged that they be amended as soon as possible to make them legitimate.

Strong opposition from local governments and real estate developers had been anticipated. But the scholars never expected that the opposition would be so strong as to prevent new regulations from being implemented.

What is strange is the fact that nothing has been published about the draft version of the revised regulations, and nothing has been made public about the actions and arguments of the local governments and developers.

It is normal for the amending of such a sensitive set of regulations to meet resistance, yet, the public has the right to know how strong such resistance is and what the arguments are of the opposing parties .

The pressure must be enormous and the resistance inconceivably strong, as we have enough reason to believe that the State Council is more than willing to adjust the balance so that the social justice and fairness can be maintained.

It is more than two years since the State Council’s regulations on the disclosure of government information were adopted in 2008. The information about this set of regulations is of vital importance to the interest of millions of residents. They have every reason to be informed of the progress the State Council has made in revising the regulations.

In the past year, more tragedies have occurred in the forced demolitions by developers and local governments, for example, in October, a villager was beaten to death by demolition workers in North China’s Shanxi province. The amendements to the regulations are badly needed to stop such tragedies.

On this matter, which is of great concern to millions of residents, public discussions may be the best way to find a more reasonable balance, one which will protect the interests and rights of both developers and residents. Transparency is important.

Only when all parties, including ordinary residents, are well informed about what has been going on will they be able to make an informed judgment.

1. solicit public opinions about XXX

2. What is strange is the fact that XXX

3. how strong the resistance is

4. the pressure must be enormous

5. the resistance must be inconceivably strong

6. be of vital importance to XXX

7. be of great concern to XXX

8. Transparency is important

9. be well informed about XXX

10. make an informed judgment