In the Confucian tradition, parents are only behind the heaven,
the earth and the emperor in the pecking order.
But things are changing and Chinese children are getting to know
their rights - and how to defend them.
For instance, Beijing resident Teresa Lin was surprised when her
11--year-old son announced that she would commit an offence if she
read his diaries without permission.
"Don' try to do that, mom," he told her. "It's illegal."
Privacy is one of the rights highlighted in the Law of the People's Republic of China on the
Protection of Minors, which goes into effect today,
International Children's Day. It was approved by the National
People's Congress last December.
It stipulates that no individual or organizations can open or
read letters, diaries or emails of minors except in certain
instances.
And should Lin insist on violating her son's privacy, the boy
can lodge a complaint against his mother, according to Ju Qing, who
participated in drafting of the law.
"What gives the law teeth is that it has a clause saying an
organization should be set up focusing solely on the protection of
minors' rights," said the researcher at the China Youth and
Children Studies Center affiliated to the Communist Youth League of
China.
The organization will be set up at different levels of the
government, and accept complaints, make regulations to protect the
rights of children in various situations such as the homeless and
juvenile delinquents, as well as conduct investigations into
schools and public places, she said.
China has between 1 and 1.5 million homeless children, according
to the Women and Children's Working Committee of the State
Council.
(China Daily June 1, 2007)
