爲迎接伊萬卡到訪 印度海得拉巴圍捕乞丐

As east Asian leaders roll out the red carpet for Donald Trump, the southern Indian city of Hyderabad is preparing for a visit by the US president’s daughter by rounding up beggars and putting them in jail.

在東亞領導人鋪開紅地毯迎接美國總統唐納德?特朗普(Donald Trump)之際，印度南部城市海得拉巴(Hyderabad)爲了準備迎接特朗普女兒的到訪，正在圍捕乞丐並把他們關進監獄。

Hyderabad’s police have begun detaining homeless families after their commissioner this week issued an order banning begging for two months. The decree was issued three weeks before Ivanka Trump’s arrival to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit from November 28 to 30.

在海得拉巴市警察局長本週下達兩個月內禁止乞討的命令之後，該市警方已經開始拘押流浪家庭。禁乞令下達的三週之後，伊萬卡?特朗普(Ivanka Trump)將抵達該市，出席從11月28日至30日召開的全球創業峯會(Global Entrepreneurship Summit)。

Work has already begun on the clear-up. On Wednesday almost 400 beggars were taken from the suburb of Goshamahal and placed in a “rehabilitation centre” in a nearby jail, a police told local media.

清理工作已經啓動。一名警察告訴當地媒體，週三有近400名乞丐被從郊區戈沙馬哈爾(Goshamahal)帶走，安置在附近一所監獄的“改造中心”裏。

“Some beggars argued that we were taking their freedom to live anywhere they want,” one officer told the Indian Express. “But we told them it was for their own good because they are going to the rehab centre where they will be taken care of.”

“有些乞丐聲辯稱，我們在剝奪他們想住哪裏就住哪裏的自由。”一名警官告訴《印度快報》(Indian Express)，“但我們告訴他們，這是爲了他們好，因爲他們到了改造中心後會得到照料。”

The round-up was ordered by M Mahender Reddy, Hyderabad’s police commissioner, who complained of the “indecent manner” of the begging. The use of children and disabled people to beg at traffic junctions was “causing annoyance and awkwardness” and was “dangerous to the safety of the vehicular traffic and public in general”.

這次圍捕是海得拉巴市警察局長M?馬亨德?雷迪(M Mahender Reddy)下令實施的。雷迪抱怨乞丐們乞討的“方式不雅”。利用兒童和殘疾人到交通擁樞紐去乞討正“引發不快和尷尬”，“威脅到車輛交通和老百姓的安全”。

Hyderabad police did not respond to a request to comment.

海得拉巴市警察局沒有迴應記者的置評請求。

Ms Trump’s visit is being taken seriously by Indian officials keen to capitalise on what they saw as a successful visit by Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, to the US this year. Mr Modi will inaugurate the summit, which is being held in Asia for the first time.

印度官員正以認真的態度對待伊萬卡的此次訪問。這些官員認爲印度總理納倫德拉?莫迪(Narendra Modi)今年對美國的訪問很成功，他們非常希望趁熱打鐵。莫迪將出席此次峯會的開幕式。這是該峯會首次在亞洲舉行。

Begging is common throughout Indian cities, many of which have grown rapidly in recent years as workers travel from the countryside looking for jobs. A report by the Indian National Human Rights Commission last year found that an estimated 300,000 children were being forced to beg by cartels.

乞討現象在印度各城市裏很常見。隨着勞動者從農村前往城市找工作，許多印度城市近年來發展得很快。印度全國人權委員會(NHRC)去年的一份報告發現，大約有30萬名兒童在團伙的強迫下行乞。

It is rare, however, for local governments to launch mass crackdowns in an attempt to clear the streets of the families who live there. Prince Charles is visiting Delhi but no equivalent action has been taken there.

然而，地方政府很少發動這種大規模整治、把住在街道上的家庭趕走。英國的查爾斯王子(Prince Charles)正在德里訪問，但那裏並未採取類似行動。

The last time such an order was issued in Hyderabad was before the visit of Bill Clinton in 2000, when he was US president. To clear the streets this time, officials told Indian media, would mean relocating 6,000 people.

海得拉巴市上次發佈禁乞令，還是在2000年時任美國總統的比爾?克林頓(Bill Clinton)到訪之前。印度官員告訴國內媒體，此次清理街道將重新安置6000人。