The next Prime Minister met with Chinese activists fighting against the disease, and has requested "more support" for them. But when he was head of Henan, he has covered up the sale of infected blood that spread the disease throughout the country. Hu Jia and Goa Yaojie started their career as "dissidents" precisely to curb that disaster.

Beijing (AsiaNews) - On the eve of the World Day against AIDS, the future prime minister of China met with representatives of 12 non-governmental organizations that fight against the spread of the disease. But his attempt to appear a supporter of this battle crumbles when confronted with his past: when he was head of the province of Henan, he covered up one of the biggest trades of tainted blood in the history of the country.

Speaking to activists, Li said: "Civil societies carry out an indispensable role in this fight. The government should support them in funding, registration, and boosting their capacity. " The anti-AIDS NGOs, he added, "are an irreplaceable and unique force. They will be given greater space to play their role."

These beautiful words cannot, however, make us forget one of the most serious health scandals ever to hit China. In the 90s, several dispensaries of the Government of Henan Province (led at the time by Li) launched a blood trade, exploiting the poverty of many farmers. The lack of hygiene in the transfusions helped spread the HIV virus in the country. In subsequent years, the future prime minister used every form of censorship and repression to prevent the truth from emerging.

In the last decade, however, a glimmer of hope has shone on the actual situation of the disease in China: the communist government has realized, in front of the statistics, that it could no longer pretend not to notice. From January to October 2012, there have been 17,740 deaths due to AIDS: the number rises by 8.6% every year. Infections, too, are increasing: in the same period there were 34,157 new cases, an increase of 12.7% over the previous year. According to official figures - which according to some dissidents are distorted - the total number of infected persons is around 780,000.

The efforts of the Prime Minister to "clean up" his conscience were also shattered against the wall erected by the many activists who have paid with their health, their freedom and sometimes with exile in the battle against the spread of this terrible disease. Two of the world's best known Chinese dissidents, Hu Jia and Dr. Gao Yaojie, come from Henan.

When she was a gynecologist, Gao reported the infection and accused the authorities of its spread: in addition, she adopted and maintained hundreds of orphans whose parents had died from the disease. This activity has caused her and her family constant harassment by the authorities in Henan, not at all happy about the public health service's responsibility being revealed concerning the infection and death of tens of thousands of people. She was forced into exile in the United States.

Hu Jia, winner of the Sakharov Prize, is considered one of the "bridges" between the Chinese dissidents and the international community. He also started his own battle in the AIDS-ravaged province. Regarding the meeting between the Prime Minister and the NGOs, he said: "You cannot believe what he says. He's only doing what the government does every year on the eve of the World Day against AIDS."

"The first time I was arrested," he concluded, "was in 2001, right in Henan. I was bringing clothes and toys to the families of the victims. In his time as head of the province, Li Keqiang was responsible for the oppression of activists and even prevented the UN HIV Agency from visiting the sick." 

 

• China
• Li
• Keqiang
• health
• human
• rights
• Communist
• Party
• henan
• scandals
• hiv
• aids
• infected
• blood
• transfusions
• NGOs