Voice of the People in the People's Republic!

An encouraging article in today's New York Times "Chinese Turn to Civic Power as a New Tool" tells of the recent rise of NGOs and other civic organizations that are demanding and, to some extent, receiving a voice in the Chinese political process. The story focuses on a woman who contracted AIDS from a tainted blood transfusion given during childbirth, and how this has unexpectedly become a national scandal through the efforts of such organizations. There seems to be thousands, perhaps millions of such groups recently organized, focusing on a wide range of issues. China AIDS NGO