Chinese debtors shamed with broadcast of names and faces on giant screens on May 1 holiday
Billboards, bus stops and screens at railway stations display personal information as courts in Anhui find new ways to continue national campaign
Local courts in eastern China’s Anhui province took advantage of heavy traffic during the May 1 holiday to shame debtors by displaying their faces and personal information on billboards and televisions in public areas.
The Shushan District Court in Hefei broadcast the photograph, name, identity number, amount owed and other information for each culprit on giant screens for 11 hours a day at public squares during peak travel times, Hefei Evening News reported on Wednesday.
Public shaming is an increasingly common punishment for those who refuse to pay debts, and courts have used a range of methods, from blacklisting to public exposure, to act as a warning to citizens.
They owed amounts ranging from as little as several thousand yuan, or a few hundred US dollars, to over 15 million yuan (US$2.36 million).
Hefei’s Yaohai District Court broadcast the information of 110 people on advertisement screens at more than 300 bus stops around the city of Hefei.