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SHENZHEN, China, Dec 10, 2006 (UPI via COMTEX) -- A Chinese city's effort to embarrass accused prostitutes and their customers by parading them in public appears to have angered many citizens.
The public shaming, reminiscent of the days of the Cultural Revolution, was carried out Nov. 29 in Shenzhen, a city near Hong Kong, the Washington Post reported. About 100 prostitutes and men were forced to march while their names were announced.
Shenzhen has a booming sex industry, with young women from rural areas coming to the city to service single men who work in booming factories. The city's closeness to Hong Kong is a contributing factor.
Kang Xiaoguang, a sociologist with the Rural Development Institute at the People's University of China, said the adverse reaction -- shown in Internet postings and other public forums -- shows that many Chinese have a greater sense of individual rights and the right to privacy than they used to.
"Twenty years ago, this kind of parade would have been greeted with unanimous applause," he said. "But now it gets more criticism than support because more people realize their rights should be protected. And of course, they have more channels to voice their criticism, like the Internet."
URL: www.upi.com Copyright 2006 by United Press International
