http://newpaper.asia1.com.sg/news/story/0,4136,191302,00.html?
Disabled China beggars hit Waterloo St during CNY
Group appears organised with lookouts
January 31, 2009
DOWN ON HIS LUCK? The beggars often place themselves in uncomfortable positions to gain more sympathy.
BEGGARS, tissue-paper sellers and buskers are a common sight to visitors of Waterloo Street throughout the year.
But a particular group of beggars caught the attention of passers-by and storekeepers over the first three days of the Chinese New Year.
The unusual thing about this group of beggars is that every one of them is missing a limb.
But these beggars are no ordinary handicapped individuals, according to a Lianhe Wanbao report.
Unlike the other beggars who sit along the pavements of Waterloo Street, these middle-aged men allegedly belong to a syndicate from Guangzhou, China, said the report.
Over the first three days of the Chinese New Year, they arrived at Waterloo Street daily shortly after 8am.
HOPING FOR HANDOUT: A beggar sits in front of a giant balloon of the God of Prosperity along Waterloo Street. PICTURES: LIANHE WANBAO
A witness, who wanted to be known only as Mr Quek, said he saw three of them sitting outside the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple begging for money.
Mr Quek said in Mandarin: 'It was very crowded on the first day. People gave them hongbao and $10 notes. 'They must have got a lot of money.'
This is the first time he has seen such beggars in the two years that he has worked at Waterloo Street.
Another six to seven of them sat near an inflatable figure of the God of Prosperity about 100m from the temple.
When The New Paper team visited the area on Wednesday afternoon, there was only one beggar sitting near the inflatable figure.
The man, who wore a collared T-shirt and bermudas, was missing a left arm.
When The New Paper tried to take a photograph of him, a man in a black T-shirt sitting nearby gestured wildly to him to collect his takings and move away.
Ran off
The handicapped beggar immediately stood up and grabbed his black hat containing all the money he had collected.
The two men then walked off in different directions.
When The New Paper team caught up with the beggar, he would only say that he was on holiday and had been at Waterloo Street for the past two days.
Apparently, this beggar wasn't the only one with his own lookout.
Lianhe Wanbao reported that the other China beggars also have 'helpers' whose job is to look out for the police or officers from the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS).
Stallholders outside the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple said this was not the first time they had come across such beggars.
Said an ice-cream seller who did not want to be named: 'There are a lot of them who appear from the first to the 15th day of Chinese New Year.'
During this period, many devotees offer prayers at the temple.
The New Paper did not see any China beggars yesterday.
Mr Devan, 42, who has been selling religious cards outside the Sri Krishnan Temple for the past three months, said some of them were rounded up by government officials yesterday.
Mr Quek said he also saw a group of plainclothes officials and a police officer rounding up the beggars on Chinese New Year's eve.
'But they came back that same afternoon to continue begging,' he said.
MCYS said in an e-mail response last night that its Destitute Persons Team steps up its patrols during festive periods when more beggars are anticipated. (See report above).
An Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) spokesman said foreign beggars will be repatriated.
The ICA keeps a record of the beggars' particulars and fingerprints, so re-entering the country will be difficult for them even if they travel on different passports.
Joanna Hor and Audrey Tan, newsroom interns
Disabled China beggars hit Waterloo St during CNY
Group appears organised with lookouts
January 31, 2009
DOWN ON HIS LUCK? The beggars often place themselves in uncomfortable positions to gain more sympathy.
BEGGARS, tissue-paper sellers and buskers are a common sight to visitors of Waterloo Street throughout the year.
But a particular group of beggars caught the attention of passers-by and storekeepers over the first three days of the Chinese New Year.
The unusual thing about this group of beggars is that every one of them is missing a limb.
But these beggars are no ordinary handicapped individuals, according to a Lianhe Wanbao report.
Unlike the other beggars who sit along the pavements of Waterloo Street, these middle-aged men allegedly belong to a syndicate from Guangzhou, China, said the report.
Over the first three days of the Chinese New Year, they arrived at Waterloo Street daily shortly after 8am.
HOPING FOR HANDOUT: A beggar sits in front of a giant balloon of the God of Prosperity along Waterloo Street. PICTURES: LIANHE WANBAO
A witness, who wanted to be known only as Mr Quek, said he saw three of them sitting outside the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple begging for money.
Mr Quek said in Mandarin: 'It was very crowded on the first day. People gave them hongbao and $10 notes. 'They must have got a lot of money.'
This is the first time he has seen such beggars in the two years that he has worked at Waterloo Street.
Another six to seven of them sat near an inflatable figure of the God of Prosperity about 100m from the temple.
When The New Paper team visited the area on Wednesday afternoon, there was only one beggar sitting near the inflatable figure.
The man, who wore a collared T-shirt and bermudas, was missing a left arm.
When The New Paper tried to take a photograph of him, a man in a black T-shirt sitting nearby gestured wildly to him to collect his takings and move away.
Ran off
The handicapped beggar immediately stood up and grabbed his black hat containing all the money he had collected.
The two men then walked off in different directions.
When The New Paper team caught up with the beggar, he would only say that he was on holiday and had been at Waterloo Street for the past two days.
Apparently, this beggar wasn't the only one with his own lookout.
Lianhe Wanbao reported that the other China beggars also have 'helpers' whose job is to look out for the police or officers from the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS).
Stallholders outside the Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple said this was not the first time they had come across such beggars.
Said an ice-cream seller who did not want to be named: 'There are a lot of them who appear from the first to the 15th day of Chinese New Year.'
During this period, many devotees offer prayers at the temple.
The New Paper did not see any China beggars yesterday.
Mr Devan, 42, who has been selling religious cards outside the Sri Krishnan Temple for the past three months, said some of them were rounded up by government officials yesterday.
Mr Quek said he also saw a group of plainclothes officials and a police officer rounding up the beggars on Chinese New Year's eve.
'But they came back that same afternoon to continue begging,' he said.
MCYS said in an e-mail response last night that its Destitute Persons Team steps up its patrols during festive periods when more beggars are anticipated. (See report above).
An Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) spokesman said foreign beggars will be repatriated.
The ICA keeps a record of the beggars' particulars and fingerprints, so re-entering the country will be difficult for them even if they travel on different passports.
Joanna Hor and Audrey Tan, newsroom interns
