Voice of America
10-Aug-95 8:40 AM
INTRO: RUMORS ARE CIRCULATING IN BEIJING ABOUT THE WOMEN
WHO WILL BE COMING TO ATTEND A MEETING OF NON-GOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATIONS THAT WILL RUN PARALLEL TO THE UNITED NATIONS
WORLD CONFERENCE ON WOMEN. AS V-O-A'S STEPHANIE HO REPORTS.
CHINESE AUTHORITIES HAVE MOVED THE NON-OFFICIAL MEETING OUT
OF DOWNTOWN BEIJING TO THE RURAL SUBURB OF HUAIROU
(HYHY-ROH).
TEXT: A CHINESE MAN SAYS HE HAS HEARD THE NON-GOVERNMENTAL
MEETING IS FOR PROSTITUTES, AND THAT IS WHY THE CHINESE
GOVERNMENT HAD TO MOVE IT OUT OF THE CENTER OF BEIJING.
ANOTHER CHINESE WOMAN SAYS SHE HAS HEARD PEOPLE TALKING
NERVOUSLY ABOUT HOW ALL THE PROSTITUTES WILL BE HOUSED IN
HOTELS IN A NEARBY DISTRICT.
YET ANOTHER BEIJING RESIDENT SAYS SHE HAS HEARD THAT THE
PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE NOT PROSTITUTES EITHER HAVE AIDS OR
ARE LESBIANS.
THESE ARE THE KINDS OF RUMORS FLOATING AROUND BEIJING, AS
THE CHINSESE CAPITAL PREPARES FOR THE LARGEST INTERNATIONAL
EVENT IT HAS EVER HOSTED.
NELL MERLINO, MEDIA DIRECTOR FOR THE N-G-O FORUM IN NEW
YORK, SAID BY TELEPHONE THAT THERE WILL BE ABSOLUTELY NO
PROSTITUTES COMING TO THE HUAIROU MEETING. SHE SAID ONE OF
THE BIGGEST GROUPS COMING TO THE CONFERENCE IS THE YOUNG
WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION -- WHICH INCLUDES
REPRESENTATIVES FROM MORE THAN 90 COUNTRIES.
PROMINENT CHINESE WRITER DAI QING SAYS IT IS NOT LIKELY
THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT STARTED THESE RUMORS.
///DAI QING CHINESE ACT IN FULL. ///
SHE BLAMED CHINESE TRADITIONAL CULTURE -- WHICH VALUES MEN
OVER WOMEN. SHE SAYS CHINESE PEOPLE AUTOMATICALLY ASSUME
THAT ANY WOMAN WHO TRIES TO STAND UP FOR HER RIGHTS IS A BAD
WOMEN.
MS. DAI SAYS THE UPCOMING WOMEN'S CONFERENCE PROVIDES A GOOD
OPPORTUNITY FOR AVERAGE CHINESE PEOPLE TO BROADEN THEIR
OUTLOOK BY HAVING EXPOSURE TO DIFFERENT KINDS OF WOMEN.
HOWEVER, SHE SAYS IF THE GOVERNMENT TRIES TOO HARD TO
CONTROL INTERACTION BETWEEN CHINESE AND FOREIGNERS, OR DOES
NOT ALLOW THE MEDIA TO REPORT OPENLY AND TRUTHFULLY, THIS
PRECIOUS OPPORTUNITY COULD BE LOST. (SIGNED)
NEB/ST/LTJ-T/MMK
10-Aug-95 8:40 AM EDT (1240 UTC) NNNN
Source: Voice of America