Wang Shaoli, deputy head of the Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, a leading psychiatric hospital, told the Chinese newspaper Xinhua that “[u]nder the new law, all sections of the society, including the government, non-governmental organizations and families, bear responsibilities in prevention and treatment of mental disorders.”

Certainly, there is no time like the present [or really the past 20, 50, 100 years, too, but we can only deal with reality].

The law has a number of constituent parts, all that sound perfectly reasonable–until you realize these rights weren’t’ guaranteed previously. First, it emphasizes the importance of privacy, mandating that institutions protect the personal information of mentally ill patients. (Not particularly novel, but I’m all for it nonetheless, having a hard time imagining what life would be like if we didn’t have these protections here.)

The law also (here’s another good one) forbids involuntary inpatient treatment–except if there is intent to harm self or others. Definitely an idea whose time has come, especially given the fact that 80% of psychiatric inpatient stays in China are currently compulsory.

Here’s a piece of the law I particularly like: “Under the law, every mental illness diagnosis should be made by a qualified psychiatrist.”  I’m definitely not a fan of unqualified psychiatrists running about making diagnoses. I just find it concerning that this had to put into a law, in 2012. Makes you worry about precisely who’s been allowed to make diagnoses up until now–and what China plans for the ‘unqualified’ psychiatrists, who will now be relieved of the task of making diagnoses.

But the law goes farther than that in giving the patients rights. Patients and their relatives can request a second opinion, and–if they still feel the diagnosis is wrong–they can turn to a qualified mental institution [I haven't gotten far enough to find out who qualifies these and how they get qualified; some of the other provisions make you wonder how precisely how qualified they are] for a final verification.

The new law requires hospitals to provide counseling services or set up outpatient clinics to help the mentally ill–and it also calls for more doctor training.

This seems like an idea whose time has more than come, as Xinhua points out that there are around 20,000 psychiatrists in the country, or 15 for every 1 million patients. Could lead to long waits in the doctor’s office.

In fact, as alarming as it is to realize that these ideas are innovations, it’s hard to fault the law’s aims. The law’s very existence brings new hope to those suffering from mental illness in China.

But the Wall Street Journal, ever a realist paper, notes the following:

“Questions remain on how China’s new mental health law will be enforced, as legal enforcements have traditionally been ad hoc in China. The government has not yet outlined the funding that it will provide for the expansion of medical services.”

Ah–the first chink in a not fully protective armor–there’s no money to pay for doctor training, access to qualified psychiatrists, second opinions. Seems the law’s saying: You could have these things–if we had the money to create them.

But the second chink isn’t far behind. Under the law, China’s Ministry of Public Security still will have the authority to run its own psychiatric institutions, separate from those run by the Ministry of Health and private institutions.

Thus the power of the police to subvert best practice in mental health remains, and leaving control in their hands will do little to prevent the tendency to hospitalize outspoken dissidents whose views are deemed unacceptable.

Still, the very fact that the Chinese government was able to put together a bill–and pass it–addressing some of the major areas of weakness and/or abuse in their mental health system is a significant step forward, and shows an understanding of what needs to change in order to make mental health treatment more safe, fair and effective in Chinese society.

And, if nothing else, reading about these first efforts should remind us of just how fortunate we are to live in societies with well-established rights for the mentally ill.

So the next time I fly off the handle here about the closing of psychiatric institutions in Illinois and Chicago until Cook County Jail holds the largest percentage of mentally ill inmates, or work myself up about how long it takes to get an appointment with a competent psychiatrist, or complain about mental health coverage here in the States (something I’m particularly exercised about now), would someone please just point a finger at this post for me?

I’m sure I’ll still stay exercised–but will at least carry on against a backdrop of gratitude that I live in country where I can’t be involuntarily hospitalized for saying the wrong thing, where I can get a second opinion, and where we don’t have to have a law that clarifies that we shouldn’t be treated by unqualified psychiatrists.*

Now it’s time to go back to fighting with my insurance company over coverage.

* For those who are worried, you are free to be treated by an unqualified psychiatrist if you’d like. I probably have some names for you, if you’re in the market.

I’m jumping right into the mix of blogging. This is my very first post and I am looking forward to more insight on Women, Minorities and Media. My seat belts buckled and I’m ready for take off.

Happy journeys in blogging

When I saw the girls at Buy My Wardrobe yesterday, we were talking about how great it was to know  that you were buying 100% authentic designer fashion at that price. It got me thinking, I  mentioned it to Kal as well.

We both agreed, how sad it is that people are still buying fakes. These are not cheap replicas. Some people are actually spending hundreds of pounds on bags that fund Drug Trafficking, Child Labour and Terrorism.

I know you think that this is a bit heavy on a Saturday morning, but like most of you we are planning our summer holiday, read the report below before you even glance at the fake goods that are offered to you on the beach.

I have been a big supporter of the movement called Fakes are never in fashion, they have a page on Facebook and a website, please take five minutes to look at them or the link below.

http://www.harpersbazaar.com/magazine/feature-articles/the-fight-against-fakes-0109_-3

Child labor, terrorism, human trafficking: Buying counterfeit designer goods is hardly harmless, Dana Thomas reports

Every time I give a talk on the luxury business today and I get to the subject of counterfeiting, the same thing happens. The room grows absolutely silent as I put forth the facts: It is estimated that up to 7 percent of our annual world trade — $600 billion worth — is counterfeit or pirated; that fakes are believed to be directly responsible for the loss of more than 750,000 American jobs; that everything from baby formula to medicine is counterfeited, with tragic results; that counterfeiters and the crime syndicates they work with deal in human trafficking, child labor, and gang warfare; and that counterfeiting is used to launder money, and the money has been linked to truly sinister deeds such as terrorism.

Spotting a knock-off is more difficult than you may think. Use the tips below as a checklist to avoid buying a fake.

1. Location, Location, Location
First and foremost, purchasing luxury goods at a brand’s boutique, website or authorized dealer is your best bet to insure buying a genuine product. Items at flea markets, home parties, from street vendors, or unauthorized websites are likely to be fake.

2. The Price is Right
Quality and exclusivity account for the high price of luxury goods. Thus, if the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.

3. Construction Sites
Craftsmanship is a main point of distinction with luxury goods. Sloppy stitches in less visible areas—such as the underside of a product or inside pockets—is likely the result of counterfeit production.

4. Package Deal
Luxury retailers meticulously package their products, including tissue paper, authenticity cards, product care information, superior quality boxes, and shopping bags. If you see a plastic wrap covering or a flimsy dust bag, it’s probably a fake. For example, counterfeit manufacturers will often wrap the handles of handbags in plastic.

5. Spell-check
Counterfeiters will often misspell designer names. Check for letters that are swapped or a letter that is capitalized that shouldn’t be, and vice versa.

6. Check the Hardware
With most luxury accessories, you will find the logo on all the metal pieces, such as zippers, latches, snaps, and buckles.

7. Read the Label
In a genuine article of luxury clothing, most often the label is stitched in, whereas counterfeit clothes are likely to have a less expensive hangtag. Also, check the country of origin on the label.

8. Timely Tips
Makers of fake watches may not replicate unusual features, such as a helium relief valve. If the feature is available, often times it does not function.

http://www.harpersbazaar.com/magazine/feature-articles/the-fight-against-fakes-0109_-3

By NBC News staff and wire reports

BEIJING — Chinese police detained almost 2,000 people in a nationwide sweep on fake drugs, seizing more than $180 million worth of counterfeit products and destroying some 1,100 production facilities, the public security ministry said on Sunday.

The operation, involving around 18,000 police officers, discovered fake or adulterated drugs purporting to deal with illnesses ranging from diabetes to high blood pressure and rabies, the ministry said in a statement on its website (link in Chinese).

The suspects went so far as to advertise their drugs online, in newspapers and on television, and the drugs caused problems ranging from liver and kidney damage to heart failure, it added.

“The criminals’ methods were despicable and have caused people to boil with rage,” the ministry said.

On Sunday, the ministry released a statement saying it would offer rewards of up to $8,000 for any information about fake drug operations, The New York Times reported.

Read more news from China on Behind The Wall

The Chinese government has repeatedly promised to tighten regulatory systems after safety scandals involving fish, drugs, toys, toothpaste, children’s clothes, tires, drugs and milk fortified with melamine, used in the manufacture of tabletops.

But little has been done apart from a few, highly publicized arrests. Tackling the issue has not been helped by China’s confused and still developing regulatory environment, corruption and the high profits counterfeiters can rake in.

Earlier this year, Chinese consumers recoiled at stories of drug capsules tainted with chromium, long-term exposure to which can cause serious organ damage.

Striking images from China on PhotoBlog

While it hailed the success of the latest raids, the ministry warned it was too soon to be able to rest on their laurels.

“The crime of making fake drugs is still far from eradicated, and criminals are coming up with new schemes, becoming craftier and better able to deceive,” it said.

Chinese students use IV drips while test cramming

The ministry called on consumers to only use above board pharmacies and hospitals and not “easily believe advertisements”.

Bloomberg Businessweek reported that as much as 30 percent of drugs in developing countries are counterfeit, with China and India the biggest suppliers of fake drugs, according to World Health Organization estimates.

Reuters contributed to this report.

More world stories from NBC News:

• Race to London’s Olympic Park: Fastest way is …?
• Journalist: British militants took me hostage in Syria
• At Hiroshima memorial, Japan leaders vow to listen
• Olympic hosts: Londoners open their homes to the world
• Canada lobster fishermen lash out at cheaper US exports

Related articles

• China arrests 2,000 in crackdown on fake drugs (worldnews.nbcnews.com)
• China Police Arrest More Than 1,900 People in Fake-Drug Hunt (bloomberg.com)
• China detains almost 2,000 in fake drug sweep (news.yahoo.com)
• China detains almost 2‚000 in fake drug sweep (thehimalayantimes.com)
• China detains almost 2000 in fake drug sweep – Emirates 24/7 (drugstoresource.wordpress.com)
• China seizes $180M worth of fake drugs, arrests 2,000 suspects (worldnews.nbcnews.com)
• China detains almost 2,000 in fake drug sweep (lfpress.com)
• China cracks down on fake drugs (bbc.co.uk)
• 2,000 held in fake drugs crackdown (Timesofmalta.com)
• 2,000 Arrested in China in Counterfeit Drug Crackdown (nytimes.com)

The country-wide operation began on 25 July, the Ministry of Public Security said in a statement.

Police seized products worth 1.16bn yuan ($182m; £117m).

These included millions of pills made to look like well-known brands used to treat diabetes, hypertension, skin problems and cancer, it said.

Despite the arrests, the problem of fake medicine was ”far from being rooted out”, authorities said.

Drug counterfeiting had become more ”elusive and deceptive” as ”criminals have come up with new methods” despite efforts to root out production and sale channels in recent years, they said.”

via BBC News – China arrests 1,900 in crackdown on fake drugs.

The operation was jointly conducted by 18 provincial police authorities in late July, who also rescued 127 organ suppliers, according to a statement from the Ministry of Public Security on Saturday.

Police said that the detained suspects illegally recruited suppliers over the Internet, facilitated the deals and made huge profits from the transactions, which had endangered the health of the suppliers and placed a heavy financial burden on the recipients.

Statistics from the Ministry of Health show that about 1.5 million Chinese need organ transplants, but only around 10,000 transplants are performed annually due to a lack of donors.

The huge gap has led to a thriving illegal market for human organs, though the government has repeatedly pledged to improve its regulations on organ transplants and increase organ supply.

In spring 2007, China’s central government issued its first national level regulations on human organ transplants, banning organizations and individuals from trading human organs in any form.”

via China nabs 137 for organ traffick |Society |chinadaily.com.cn.

Related articles

• Alarming Rise in Illegal Human Organ Trade (sott.net)
• Illegal kidney trade booms as new organ is ‘sold every hour’ (guardian.co.uk)
• Black market in human kidneys grows to 10,000 operations a year (rawstory.com)

‘It is good to have only one child’ (Photo credit: kattebelletje)

NY Times: “The police have arrested 802 people on suspicion of child trafficking and have rescued 181 children in a major operation spanning 15 provinces, the Ministry of Public Security said Friday. The recent operation broke up two trafficking rings and led to the arrests of the ringleaders, the ministry said in a statement posted on its Web site. China’s strict one-child policy has driven a thriving market in babies, especially boys because of a traditional preference for male heirs.”

via China – Police Crack Down on Child Trafficking Rings – NYTimes.com.

One of the unintended but direct consequences of the Chinese one-child policy.

See also: 

• 
  http://chindia-alert.org/2012/05/26/city-girls-go-manhunting-while-the-bachelors-in-rest-of-country-despair/
  
• 
  http://chindia-alert.org/2012/03/01/use-of-dna-to-rescue-abducted-kids-in-china/
  
• China Needs to Ease One-Child Policy, State Researchers Say

The Ministry of Public Security said that more than 100 guns and gun parts, and about 50,000 bullets, had been seized in the case, which is being jointly investigated with the American authorities. The announcement came weeks after United States officials arrested Staff Sgt. Joseph Debose, 29, a soldier with a Special Forces National Guard unit in North Carolina, on charges of illegal firearms trafficking.

According to the United States attorney’s office for the Eastern District of New York, customs officers in Shanghai stumbled upon the smuggling ring in August after discovering a Beretta 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun and other firearms hidden inside a stereo speaker in a U.P.S. package. After contacting U.P.S. in the United States, as well as the Department of Homeland Security, the authorities traced the package to two Chinese nationals in New York, using shipping documents and surveillance video from a U.P.S. facility in Queens. The two men eventually led the authorities to Sergeant Debose, who was acting as a gun dealer in North Carolina, prosecutors said.”

via Gun Ring Involving U.S. Soldier Is Broken Up, Chinese Officials Say – NYTimes.com.

For many Chinese netizens, it serves as a buffet of memes (internet jokes) at the expense of sleeping delegates and Mao’s grandson, as well as a source of outrage when it comes to expensive clothing and accessories.

At the end of the meetings, new laws will be presented and then promptly forgotten. As the WSJ put it:

…activists including artist Ai Weiwei, who was detained for 81 days last year without being charged, say Chinese police rarely observe legal procedure, and the new revisions include many loopholes that would still allow police to make people “disappear” in politically sensitive cases.

So if the laws aren’t actually enforced, aren’t these meetings pointless?

The reason China journalists, human rights advocates, financial analysts, and others have been glued to their screens this week isn’t because they think these new laws will actually be strictly enforced. Instead, this week is dedicated to reading tea leaves and trying to discern China’s future direction. This is especially important given that there will be a new group of leaders appointed this fall.

For example, Bo Xilai (the guy who loves red songs) and Wang Yang (called a reformer) have been the focus of at least a dozen articles, even though the next leader has already been decided (unofficially). Instead, these two men represent two factions within the Party, and the ascension of either one to a higher post could mean a general shift in that direction.

Unfortunately, Bo Xilai has been entangled in a political scandal, and is now unlikely to be promoted. I say “unfortunately” not because Bo deserves a promotion (my nationalist friend in Chengdu called him a “psycho” and the more reform minded friend called him “dangerous”), but his scandal means that we can no longer tell if he just lost favor or if his whole ideology has lost standing.

On the other hand, laws, like the one protecting human rights during detention, are China’s way of signaling to the rest of the world how it would like to be portrayed or less cynically, what it hopes to be. Law makers know this bill will result in headlines like, “China acts to give defendants greater rights,” and “China targets detention practices,” without actually limiting what state security agents can do, but many papers and activists will call it progress.

While I might seem skeptical, bare in mind the many cases of detention Yaxue has detailed on this blog were already in defiance of the current laws (“China is a country under rule of law” ironically was last year’s theme). Until people like Chen Guangcheng are free, there is little reason to expect that this law will be any better enforced.

Speeches, like Wen Jiabao’s promise that “Farmers’ land rights not to be violated by anyone,” serve two purposes. One, to give the appearance that the Party cares about Chinese farmers (which they need in order to maintain stability), and two, serves as a clear message to local gov’t's that this issue is a priority. However, there is still little reason to think that this marks the end of land grabs. Police last year were ordered not to meddle in home demolitions, yet this is still a common source of tension.

Next week we’ll look closer at the tea leaves, and try to discern what kind of country China would like to be seen as.

For many Chinese netizens, it serves as a buffet of memes (internet jokes) at the expense of sleeping delegates and Mao’s grandson, as well as a source of outrage when it comes to expensive clothing and accessories.

At the end of the meetings, new laws will be presented and then promptly forgotten. As the WSJ put it:

…activists including artist Ai Weiwei, who was detained for 81 days last year without being charged, say Chinese police rarely observe legal procedure, and the new revisions include many loopholes that would still allow police to make people “disappear” in politically sensitive cases.

So if the laws aren’t actually enforced, aren’t these meetings pointless?

The reason China journalists, human rights advocates, financial analysts, and others have been glued to their screens this week isn’t because they think these new laws will actually be strictly enforced. Instead, this week is dedicated to reading tea leaves and trying to discern China’s future direction. This is especially important given that there will be a new group of leaders appointed this fall.

For example, Bo Xilai (the guy who loves red songs) and Wang Yang (called a reformer) have been the focus of at least a dozen articles, even though the next leader has already been decided (unofficially). Instead, these two men represent two factions within the Party, and the ascension of either one to a higher post could mean a general shift in that direction.

Unfortunately, Bo Xilai has been entangled in a political scandal, and is now unlikely to be promoted. I say “unfortunately” not because Bo deserves a promotion (my nationalist friend in Chengdu called him a “psycho” and the more reform minded friend called him “dangerous”), but his scandal means that we can no longer tell if he just lost favor or if his whole ideology has lost standing.

On the other hand, laws, like the one protecting human rights during detention, are China’s way of signaling to the rest of the world how it would like to be portrayed or less cynically, what it hopes to be. Law makers know this bill will result in headlines like, “China acts to give defendants greater rights,” and “China targets detention practices,” without actually limiting what state security agents can do, but many papers and activists will call it progress.

While I might seem skeptical, bare in mind the many cases of detention Yaxue has detailed on this blog were already in defiance of the current laws (“China is a country under rule of law” ironically was last year’s theme). Until people like Chen Guangcheng are free, there is little reason to expect that this law will be any better enforced.

Speeches, like Wen Jiabao’s promise that “Farmers’ land rights not to be violated by anyone,” serve two purposes. One, to give the appearance that the Party cares about Chinese farmers (which they need in order to maintain stability), and two, serves as a clear message to local gov’t's that this issue is a priority. However, there is still little reason to think that this marks the end of land grabs. Police last year were ordered not to meddle in home demolitions, yet this is still a common source of tension.

Next week we’ll look closer at the tea leaves, and try to discern what kind of country China would like to be seen as.

The ministry has created a DNA database of more than 20,000 blood samples from parents who have lost their children in an effort to help identify abducted children and fight against thecrime, according to Chen Shiqu, head of the ministry’s office for the crackdown on childabductions.

Since 2009, police have uncovered nearly 16,000 cases of women trafficking and 12,000 child abduction cases. Authorities rescued more than 19,000 abducted children and 35,000 women,Chen said. The police will keep on implementing the ”zero tolerance” policy to the crime, and beef up efforts to crack down on child trafficking, he said.

Human trafficking is difficult to root out in China, partly as the conventions of ”boys carrying o nthe family line” and ”sons guaranteeing one’s old age” remain deeply rooted in the countryside.In many rural areas, couples with no offspring still tend to ”buy” and adopt abducted children.”

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-03/01/content_14727447.htm

The high incidence of child abduction is a direct consequence of the one-child policy combined with the Chinese (and Indian) view that sons are ‘better’ than daughters. Boys are kidnapped for parents without a son and, sometimes, girls are kidnapped because of the growing awareness that there is a serious sex-ratio disparity that will later cause there to be fewer women than men for marriage purposes!  ;-(

Perhaps the single most reassuring fact about travel in the People’s Republic of China is its remarkably low crime rate.

The Ministry of Public Security (MPS), the principal authority of domestic criminal procedures, regularly report a year-on-year decline in violent crime, while common property infringement incidents such as theft, fraud and robbery, which account for no more than 80 percent of all cases, rise annual by as little as 1 percent.

Cosmopolitan cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, which annually attract tens of millions of overseas visitors on business or holiday, applaud themselves for providing public order and relatively safe-city streets where one can walk at just about any hour in relative safety.

Go to On Crime in China – Part 2

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Travel photographer Tom Carter is the author of CHINA: Portrait of a People, a 600-page book of photography from the 33 provinces of China, available on Amazon.com!

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