The Beijing 2008 Olympics are underway in Beijing, and the city is on full display. But many of the visitors aren't aware of the people who have been forced out of the city because the were considered undesirable by the government.
Up to 170,000 people work as ad-hoc recyclers in the garbage dumps surrounding Beijing. They sort trash into goods that can be resold. The work they do not only helps control Beijing's massive garbage output, it also supports their livelihoods.
But most of these people are migrants, who aren't technically allowed to live in Beijing. Therefore, they don't have the same rights to healthcare, schooling, or social security. And with the Olympic games, their presence is not welcome. Wang Weiping is a government advisor on the recycling industry, and he advised Beijing to send away the recyclers for a variety of reasons:
"First: more then 70 percent are involved in criminal activities. They even steal manhole covers - extremely dangerous for traffic! Secondly: about 72 percent of the garbage collectors carry infectious diseases, such as dysentery, hepatitis and typhoid, so they pose a health risk to others.
Also their vehicles are too polluting and they have too many kids despite China's strict family planning policy." Annoying
Back outside the dump, the recyclers react angrily to these accusations - particularly about the disease. One woman had this to say: "It is not true, it's a lie. They want to clear this place, because maybe it's a bit messy, but we are healthy enough. Spreading rumours that we are ill - it's annoying. If we were ill, would we be able to rent this house? Wouldn't the government have made us leave sooner?"
But still, the migrant recyclers have left the city, many back to the home towns that they are supposed to officially live in. After the games, some of them may return - but they will face a very different Beijing. The city will start an ID system, and give the recyclers temporary residence permits to live in the city and improved access to health care. But there will also be more policing of their communities - both to protect and monitor them.
In the mean time, however, the city is lacking its usual recycling system. So the city will be handling the waste as usual, without anyone sorting through it to pull out what can be re-used. And that means more trash will be incinerated.
Reported by Radio Netherlands - KAREN MEIRIK AND DAVE MCGUIRE
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