Group Accuses China of Abuse in Secret Jails

According to a recent report by the Human Rights Watch, China has been tolerating an extensive network of secret jails in Beijing, which are operated by provincial and municipal governments. These "secret jails" are meant to keep people from complaining to government officials. This information is according to 38 accounts of ex-detainees, who claim that the guards of these jails beat, sexually abused, intimidated and robbed men, women and teenagers. Municipal and provincial governments are trying so hard to discourage complaints because these governments are penalized according to the amount of complaints they receive, so local officials have been trying to prevent these complaints from becoming official. Obviously, the Central Government has been denying these calims, saying that "there are no black jails in China." But according to the accounts of these 38 ex-detainees, these jails are a reality, and the federal government needs to do something about it.

Here is a video from the NY Times on the topic


-Galen