After I wrote about the the Henan AIDS epidemic still haunting this country, Sonja Jo tweeted at us the above video by activist Hu Jia, uploaded yesterday. It shows Henan petitioners gathered around the Ministry of Civil Affairs office in Wangfujing on Thursday, some wearing red ribbons on their coats or lapels. The video description says the petitioners were there for three days, tailed by Beijing police the whole time. Officials did not come out to address their concerns.
Be warned, this isn’t the easiest video to watch, as it simply shows people wailing, crying, and being ignored. It’s a through-the-keyhole peek at the tragedy of life, and a stark reminder that government is never performed in a cold vacuum. The logic of bureaucracy sure does seem flimsy and worthless when confronted with something like this.
