After we told you yesterday about beggars in Shenzhen’s Dongmen area allegedly living secret lives of luxury, authorities reacted by broadcasting footage of suspected fake beggars on a giant LED screen in the area’s Culture Square and on another screen nearby, Southern Metropolis Daily reports.
Local residents Mr. Chen and Mrs. Xu told the paper of their increasing cynicism after being generous with beggars in their early years in Shenzhen. Recent reports that many of these “career beggars” drive home in luxury cars to exclusive areas have validated their cynicism.
On Tuesday afternoon, video footage was projected on two giant LED screens in Dongmen of some of the beggars who had frequently been seen in the area that were thought to be con artists.
Netizens have largely supported the move. One called it a good method. Another said it was worth supporting. Others looked forward to a decrease in the number of beggars in the area.
Suspected prostitutes being publicly shamed, courtesy of The New York Times.
China has a history of publicly shaming suspected criminals, and not just during the Cultural Revolution. In 2010, the Ministry of Public Security ordered the police to stop parading suspects in public and called on local departments to enforce laws in a “rational, calm and civilized manner.”
But a culture doesn’t change over night.