Beijing, First Published Feb 23, 2022, 7:26 PM IST
The provincial head of the Communist Party and the provincial governor have been fired in connection with the incident in which a young woman was chained inside a hut in a Chinese village. Fifteen other officers were fired for making false reports against the young woman. Nine people have been charged so far in the incident. The investigation against them is in progress. After the video of the young woman went viral, the Chinese official media reported that it was now clear that what the Chinese authorities had said against the young woman was a lie.
After the video was released, Suzhou municipal officials said the incident was fabricated and that the woman was insane. Things changed after Chinese social media took over the incident and leveled harsh criticism at the authorities. Authorities reopened the case and admitted that the woman was a victim of human trafficking, contrary to what was said earlier.
The 44 – year – old woman, a native of Yunnan in the southwestern province, was found chained, Chinese official media reported, citing investigators. They have been sold twice in Feng County. In 1997, she was sold for 5,000 yuan. The girl, who escaped a year later, was later bought by her current husband’s father. According to the investigation report, her husband was also a human trafficker and he was trying to sell her again. The woman currently has eight children. It is reported that she has lost her mental state due to continuous childbirth and has started psychiatric treatment.
The report states that all the nine arrested are members of a human trafficking gang. They are the ones who sold and bought this woman. The report says that the investigation is extending to more links. The provincial Communist Party chief and governor have been fired for fabricating a case and misleading the case. They are charged with failing to protect the rights and interests of ordinary people, misrepresenting the case and misleading the public. In addition to these, 15 officers who had given false reports against the woman and tried to cover up the case were dismissed.
The misery of a woman locked up in a rubbish hut in a village in eastern Jiangsu province was released by a YouTube channel in early January. Video footage emerged of the young woman being chained around her neck and tied to a concrete wall. They could not speak. The video then went viral on social media. The news was soon picked up by the world media.
But the authorities’ first explanation was that the woman was insane. This led to a lot of criticism on Chinese social media. Authorities now admit that all of their earlier names and information were incorrect.
After the incident was discussed, someone came on the scene with a new video. He said in the video that he was their husband and that he had chained the woman. In it, he had a child with him. He explained that she was the mother of the child and that she had other children with the woman. Others in the video said she was locked inside the house because outsiders mocked her.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5sdKpzTaD8
Following this, his video was widely questioned on social media. Many pointed out that he was a human trafficker and had several previous cases. At the same time, there was criticism of the authorities for not taking action in this case.
Subsequently, provincial officials investigated the case. They said the woman was a beggar and mentally ill. They also reported that the man in the second video married her in 1998. She said family planning officials implemented contraceptive methods after the birth of the second child, but it was not effective. The woman was diagnosed with schizophrenia by a psychiatrist who examined her.
At the same time, criticism of the authorities mounted. Millions of people on Chinese social media Weibo called for a clear investigation into the incident. They also demanded an inquiry into the controversy. The Chinese media also raised the issue.
Authorities then came up with a new explanation. Earlier, they had said that the woman’s name was Yang. Now, authorities say her name is Xiao Humei. Police initially said Dong, who claimed to be her husband, was a poor farmer. But now they say he is a human trafficker.
Officials now say:
Their home was in a remote village in the southwestern province of Yunnan. Married earlier. There were two children in it. Her husband later divorced her due to mental problems. After the death of their parents, they were left unattended by a woman named Sang from the same village. However, a woman named Sang told police that the girl’s parents had asked her to take them to the city and find a new husband, so he disappeared when he got on the train with her. Police now say it was a fabrication and that it was Sang who brought them to the city. Following this, Sang and her husband were arrested, police said. She said the man, who claimed to be the woman’s husband, would be arrested soon.
Last Updated Feb 23, 2022, 7:25 PM IST