Lawyer asks homeless shelter to boost transparency

A lawyer is asking for more information about a homeless shelter in Hunan province after its staff was accused of assaulting an undercover journalist.

Hao Jinsong, a lawyer in Beijing, said on Jan 15 that he had sent a letter to the Changsha Homeless Shelter, asking the shelter to publicize its budget and expenses for 2012, along with its procedures, the names of people rescued, how much money they have and whether petitioners had been held by the government and sent to the shelter.

The Changsha Homeless Shelter said that it had not received the letter yet, and it would be sent to the shelter's leaders to deal with, according to Sanxiang Metropolis Daily.

Dai Peng, a reporter for the Sanxiang Metropolis Daily, said the shelter's workers attacked him on the night of Jan 7 after he was transferred there by police. He had been posing as a vagrant to investigate the treatment of homeless people since many vagrants prefer to sleep outside in freezing conditions rather than seek help from authorities.

Li Feng, director of the shelter's general office, refuted Dai's allegation, saying that they had taken measures to control Dai as they believed he may have had a weapon in his pocket, which turned out to be an electronic voice recorder.

Hao, the lawyer, said he will sent letters to shelters in other cities asking for information, aiming to boost transparency of government rescue agencies.

Contact the writer at anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn

Related:

Rescue shelter denies assault accusations

Most children at shelter refuse to go home

Migrant workers shelter beneath overpasses