Give children true freedom

Last month, the Chinese media reported that an electronics company in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, was suspected of hiring dozens of child laborers and forcing them to work 12 hours a day for a monthly pay of 2,000 yuan ($329.82).

The report drew immediate attention especially because most of the underage workers were girls. According to the report, some children refused to tell their exact age, but before they were escorted back to their hometown in Liangshan, Sichuan province, a girl said she did not want to leave because by working in the factory she could afford to "eat meat".

A society ruled by law should protect its children's rights and interests, and eliminate the disease of child labor. But by saving the children from exploitation, society has put them in a state where they can only dream of having a meal with meat. Such incidents pose a real challenge for the country's child welfare guarantee system and national poverty-relief efforts, said a commentary in Beijing News on Monday.