Opinion
Protect vulnerable groups at all cost
(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-12-30 07:51
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Recently, gangsters have been murdering mentally ill miners and then blackmailing mine owners to pay them money by threatening to report fake mine accidents to the authorities. It's the government's responsibility to protect vulnerable groups and bring such criminals to book, says an article in Changjiang Daily. Excerpts:
This has to be the most bizarre of blackmails. First, gangsters murder some intellectually challenged miners. And then they force the mine owners to pay them money, failing which they threaten to report fake mine disasters to the authorities. The media has reported more than 20 such cases.
The cruelty of these cases is an affront to the human race. People with intellectual disabilities are a vulnerable group in urgent need of medical and social care. But some of them are not only exploited as "slaves" by mine owners, but also become victims of murderers and blackmailers.
The large number of such cases reflects the low moral of some individuals. It also reflects the lack of protection for vulnerable people. Since intellectually challenged people can be won over with just a little care, gangsters can easily lead them to isolated places before killing them.
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According to reports, the gangsters who have killed the intellectually challenged mine workers are poor, too. But poverty is no excuse for trading life for money. Evil does exist in society. But we have introduced civilized regulations to restrict it. To protect the vulnerable and let them share the fruits of development is the responsibility of all governments.
Therefore, the administration should pay enough attention to vulnerable groups and provide them with medical and social care.
