Society
A league of their own out to trace missing children
By Zhang Yuchen (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-04-28 07:08
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With the help of a DNA database, which through a large investment has been developed into a nationwide network of laboratories, the police were able to correctly identify 298 of the 2,169 rescued children, according to figures released by the ministry.
But despite extensive efforts to clamp down on child trafficking, it remains a real problem in China.
Youngsters are often kidnapped and made to perform hard labor in illegal businesses, or sold into the sex trade. Traffickers also sell children to couples who are either unable to have children or who want male heirs, which is still the tradition in large parts of the country.
"It seems that the trafficking continues even though the police are working on it," said Zhang, whose Baby Home organization works with the Ministry of Public Security to help reunite rescued children with their families. "The action will take time to solve the problem completely."
Seven or eight children were registered missing with the Baby Home website every day before the police crackdown began. That dropped to one every three days following the operation but the number has steadily been rising again.
"This project needs huge financial and human resources, and needs time to make an impact and legislation to regulate," said Zhang. "We need a good model to powerfully demonstrate to local police departments what kind of work they need to be doing."
Members of the Parents of Lost Children League also complained that they are barred from entering the majority of orphanages (experts believe this is where many trafficked children end up) during the month-long trip.
"In the name of privacy, orphanages keep parents out," said Zhang. "They usually only advertise the fact they have a new child in an obscure newspaper, which many parents will not see. Months later, through various channels, they all allow the child to be adopted, which separates them from their natural parents forever."
For now, Cheng Zhu is back on the building site to make money to support his family, while his youngest daughter is also rapidly approaching school age. Yet he is already planning his next journey.
"I will try my best to find my lost daughter. My next trip will start in October if everything goes well. I will never stop."
(China Daily 04/28/2010 page1)
