Help crys out in rural China

Help cries out in Rural China:

however no one cares.

“Cancer had been rare when the stream was clear, but last year cancer accounted for 13 to 17 deaths in the village” (Yardely 1). In a New York Times article dated September 12, 2004, Jim Yardley wrote an amazing article about the problems that villages are facing due to pollution. Mr. Wang Licheng, head of the Communist Party in his village, gave NY Times journalist, Jim Yardley, a tour of his decaying village.

This village is located in Huangmengying, and over the past fourteen year 114 people have died from cancer. This village is lies along a small canal that runs into the Haui River, like the Yangtze River, it is known to divide the north and south. Huangmengying is located in Central China's Henan Province; it has a population of about 2,400 in its village. About two-thirds of all Chinese live in the rural China and all of them are affected by pollution.

“All the water we drink around here is polluted, you can taste it, it’s acrid and bitter” (Wang 1). People in his village and others are dying our cancer, tumors and other unknown illness and there is no sign of help! This has not been the first time this village has faced illness due to pollution. Ten years ago the government promised to clean up the problem within the basin. Three years ago a Chinese Official vowed success on the clean up! July of 2004 the water rated 5 being most polluted on a scale of 1-5. Villages like Mr. Wang were being greatly affected, people were dying, crops were dying, fish were dying, any one who crossed paths with the deadly water was in danger.

“Over the past 20 years in China, there has been a single-minded focus on economic growth with the belief that economic growth can solve all problems”, said Pan Yue, Director of China’s State Environmental Protection Administration. He follows up by adding, “but this has left environmental protection badly behind.”

So my question today is would this occur in an equal society? Are these people being treated equal? Is it right that these people are being poisoned because the government chooses to over look them? The real catch-22 to this story, these people are too poor to even move. All they know is this village. Their family lives there, they grew up there, they just can not leave.

One village member states, “We’ve wasted so much money medical treatment, I think the best thing would be to give up.” To treat the cancer caused by the pollution costs about $500 dollars. In rural China were people are not making the same amount as those in the cities, this is extremely expensive. No wonder why this villager wants to give up. Instead of worrying about her this sick woman worries about spending too much of the families’ money because giving her treatment would leave her family broke.

This does not seem like an equal world in China does it? This upcoming year the spotlight will be on China. They will be the host of the Summer Olympics with events all over the vast country. While visiting China this past summer we were informed that one month prior to opening ceremony, all factories will shut down, all cars will be limited in decrease pollution for the Olympics. This just shows that they understand the pollution is bad, yet, they are not doing anything extremely proactive about rural China. What do you think would happen is a event was located in Huanhmengying? My guess is that place would be in tip top space. It would reflect what was done in Macau. So while you are enjoying a beautiful dinner at the Peiking Duck, the villagers of Huangmengying will be fighting for their life.

Not only are we fighting so environmental protection we are also fighting for equality here in rural China. The small voices in rural China are not heard in Beijing or Shanghai; they would rather ignore the growing problem. If these problems were occurring in Beijing you better believe that not only the Chinese Government but also the World Media would be all over it. So basically my conclusion here is that the poor have no voice. They are not treated equal or fair because they are poor and basically worlds away from (what we call) civilization. Is this something that can be fixed? If we make rural and urban life the same does that eliminate inequality?

Jiaquan, Wang. Riverside villages count cancer cases. China Daily News, 10/19/2004.

Yardely, Jim. Rivers Run Black, and Chinese Die of Cancer. New York Time, 09/12/4004.