China’s elders take to courts to get financial assistance from kids
GUANGZHOU: A province with an increasing aged population, Guangdong is seeing a growing number of its elderly turning to the courts.Liu Sanmei, 96, is the oldest person in Shengping Village, Pingyuan County, in eastern Guangdong’s Meizhou.Last month, Liu won a lawsuit against her three sons requiring that they provide her with living expenses and share the cost of her medical bills.Pingyuan County People’s Court ruled that the men should pay 60 yuan (US$7.4) each to Liu every month starting this month.Liu, who used to live with her third son, took legal action after he built a new house and moved away early this year.After he left, none of her sons came to visit her or gave her any financial support.Liu is one of many of Guangdong’s senior citizens who have turned to the law to protect their rights in recent years.According to Ma Jungang, deputy director of the Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Justice, more than 1,200 senior citizens filed cases in the province during the first six months of this year.In 2004, nearly 2,000 elderly people pursued legal action, while around 5,000 sought legal aid between 1997 and 2003.
Ed: China’s elderly (65+) population will reach 400 million by 2040. Yikes!