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Is there really nothing that can be done?

explorerred (26 posts) • 0

I'm sure many people who read this forum have seen the poor, helpless "beggar" on the sidewalk on Wen Lin Jie near the movie theater. His keepers bring him there every day and leave him (since he obviously can't move himself) all day and late into the evening in all kinds of weather with no protection against the elements except a rag covering the lower part of his body. I assume that the police, even if pressed to do something about this unspeakably cruel situation, would not intervene because even if they chased away or arrested the pigs who collect the money at the end of the day, they would then be faced with the dilemma of what to do with this poor soul.

So my question is, is there no charity or organization in this city that might take this man in before he dies of exposure on the street as thousands of people pass by every day? My wife and I are willing to try to help in any way we can, but our Chinese is crap so we would definitely need a Chinese or a foreigner who is bilingual if there is any avenue that we could pursue to try to help this man.

EnglishTeacher (101 posts) • 0

I feel your pain. I see this all the time in my neck of the woods and frankly, if you try to help this guy and 'they' get a hold of you somehow, the ending wouldn't be nice for you or your wife I'm afraid. Maybe you can contact the news media. Have a Chinese friend call for you. Good Luck!

nnoble (889 posts) • 0

I'm aware of having become cold and heartless to this type of situation. If there were any reliable, effective, non-corrupt charity or organisation that could be supported it would be one way of clawing some humanity back. Until then I've accepted how rotten I've become but also the folly of getting into a situation I don't fully understand and could possibly make worse. But this is one thread I'll subscribe to and watch with genuine interest.

___________

If this man was 'saved', how long before he was replaced? Surely only a civic minded society, a sea change in culture, political will, law and effective enforcement is going to resolve this situation. A tall order given the complexity of myriad issues government has to deal with.

EncryptedEncrypted (114 posts) • 0

As Englishteacher says, I also think going to news media is a good idea. I've heard there is a kind of news media that cover little stories that happen around the city. You can contact them and tell them what's about. If they think its worth it they'll call you and make a story or something about it.

If you want I can ask my teacher who told me this to give contact information.

onlyone (156 posts) • 0

actually i don't mean to offend any of the posters above but that man who you talking about can move can walk after he got his job done every night and also later he puts on his coat .!

explorerred (26 posts) • 0

[actually i don't mean to offend any of the posters above but that man who you talking about can move can walk after he got his job done every night and also later he puts on his coat .!]

No offense taken. This is one of the reasons that we are taking a cautious approach to the situation, exactly because it is so difficult, even for the locals sometimes, to figure out what is really going on.

Thanks to the other posters for your insights. We'll be talking to our Chinese friends and let you know what develops. And please continue to offer advice, by all means.

YuantongsiYuantongsi (717 posts) • 0

The only way to stop children, adults being "broken", or stolen for begging is to STOP giving money.

While there is money to be made then the people who control these beggars will continue.

OceanOcean (1193 posts) • 0

I sometimes give the beggars some food or the children sweets. That way it goes to them (if they really need it), rather than their minders' pockets. But there's no easy solution to this - similar dilemmas are there in any western city too.

Yuanyangren (297 posts) • 0

Is this the guy with the "hump" on his back in downtown near the bus stop? That guy seems to rake in a lot of money each day, possibly more than a lot of educated, hard working citizens make in this city - everytime I walk past, he seems to have hundreds of yuan sitting there and every now and then he puts some of it into his coat. It's just so hard to figure out where the money goes, if he is begging for someone else (likely, but who knows), if the guy is really disabled (I try not to stare longer than I have to, but I did see what appeared to be a hump on his back..so the answer is probably yes) or any of the other questions everyone who has seen him before have. It is sad though, although fortunately beggars are relatively rare in this city.

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