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China Censors HIV/AIDS Awareness Documentary

Posted by Soulskill on from the learn-it-the-hard-way dept.

eldavojohn writes "Amnesty International is reporting an unusual case of censorship in which Chinese police questioned HIV/AIDS workers in China and instructed them to cancel an airing of a documentary made by Aizhixing Institute of Health Education on the disease. The director of that NGO recently left China after constant police harassment. The canceled documentary was about Tian Xi, a patient who contracted HIV by blood transfusion at age 9."

3 of 120 comments (clear)

  1. Health or Politics? by Sponge+Bath · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I would think the government would agree to distributing information purely about health issues. I wonder about the tone of the film. Is it wrapped up in criticism of the government? AI's site, of course, portrays it as totally innocent. I clicked on "Watch Documentary" but it stalled out.

    1. Re:Health or Politics? by Marcika · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Kevin Peter Hall, the original actor in the Predator suit in Predator 1 and Predator 2 died that way, AIDS via incompetent blood transfusion after a car crash. He was in Misfits of Science too. Such a loss :(

      More importantly, Isaac Asimov died that way as well -- and the doctors cajoled his family into hushing it up for decade (until the doctors were dead as well).

  2. Re:good move, USA should also ban hysteria reporti by sarysa · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I think their greater concern is that because their healthcare system is government run, the panic you describe would make people question the government's competency, thereby undermining its authority. I'm curious to how China would react if the subject of the documentary got HIV through sex.

    --
    Charisma is the measure of someone's ability to lie with a straight face.