From Chinese Press

Mine rescue film of half truths

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-06-08 08:14

A film has been planned on the Shanxi provincial government's efforts to rescue 115 coal miners in Wangjialing. But we have every reason to doubt that the film will not highlight the hard work of miners, says an article on jfdaily.com. Excerpts:

The film on the Wangjialing coal mine accident is not expected to focus on the backbreaking labor of coal miners or the struggle they have to go through in their daily life.

It will not highlight the suffering and loss of miners' families, either. Instead, it will focus on how determined the provincial government was to save the 115 miners even after they had been for eight days underground.

To be frank, the Shanxi government did make laudable efforts in Wangjialing. But the film is not expected to mention the other side of the sad story - the frequent mine tragedies and failed rescue operations in Shanxi. And it is certainly not expected to mourn the deaths of the 38 miners in Wangjialing itself or the plight of their families.

Moreover, the exact numbers of trapped and rescued miners are still not known because the local government is unwilling to release records. The "success" of a government with such an irresponsible attitude is the last thing that deserves to be shown on screen.

(China Daily 06/08/2010 page9)