Sylvie Claire / December 30, 2021
Four people accused of violating anti-Covid rules were forced to parade in the southern Chinese city of Jingxi, several media reported.
In several videos, each suspect can be seen handcuffed in the back and escorted by two police officers in white suits. Each carries a sign with his name and photo. They have been accused of transporting illegal migrants, as the country's borders remain largely closed due to Covid, reports the Guangxi News.
China has practically eradicated the virus on its soil since last year at the cost of radical measures: limitation of international flights, mandatory quarantines on arrival, massive screening and monitoring of travel.
When cases appear, the country imposes strict confinements, as in Xi'an (north) where 13 million people have been forbidden to leave their homes for a week. The government remains on guard, as any outbreak could threaten the Winter Olympics in February.
The parade served as a warning, the Guangxi News reported, welcoming the news. The public humiliation is part of measures announced in August by the local government to punish those who violate health measures.
But the measure has drawn criticism from other official media. It is a serious attack on the spirit of the rule of law, said the daily Beijing News.
China banned this type of public humiliation in 2010, after decades of campaigning by human rights activists. But the practice has been resurfacing lately.