Police punished after China lovers fined for a hug
CHINA: China has punished three policemen for detaining and fining
two young lovers 5,000 yuan ($660) for hugging in public on the Chinese
version of Valentine’s Day.
The couple paused to embrace while taking a stroll along a river in
Jinshi in the central province of Hunan, the Shanghai Daily said.
“As we hugged each other, three policemen came and separated us so
they could ask questions. They brought us to the police station and
didn’t free us until we paid a 5,000 yuan fine,” the paper quoted female
detainee, Xiao Hong, as saying in an Internet posting on a local news
portal.
The police were in plain clothes and many other couples were out
strolling on the evening of “Qi Xi” — a local festival often dubbed
Chinese Valentine’s Day, the Beijing News said in a separate report.
Internet users poured derision on the police, which “forced officials
to look into the case”, the paper said.
“The three policemen have been punished. We have never dealt with
such a case before,” the paper quoted a clerk at the police station as
saying.
Police had refunded the money to Xiao Hong’s boyfriend and apologised,
the paper said.
Beijing, Friday, Reuters
|