BEIJING: The Beijing administration will take DNA samples from child beggars and put them into a database to see whether they were victims of child trafficking in a move to end street begging.
The campaign aims to return child beggars to their homes as well as eradicate street begging by children by the end of 2012, the People's Daily reported, citing the Beijing Civil Affairs Bureau.
The campaign jointly launched by a number of government agencies also aims to assist the child beggars in getting back into the education system.
From March 1 teams will take any child beggar whose identity is unclear to homeless rescue centres. Their DNA information will be gathered through blood samples and efforts would be made to track down their parents.
A child's DNA information will be put into a "DNA information bank" dedicated to matching the DNA of trafficked children and their parents.
However, parents of missing children would have to previously register with their local public security department and give a DNA sample. If there are any matches, the children will be sent back to them.
The DNA bank had been established by the ministry of public security in April 2009. By September 2011, around 1,400 missing children had been reunited with their parents through the bank, the Beijing News said.
The government had also started special campaigns against woman and child abduction in 2009 and by July 2011 a total of 23,085 women and 13,284 children had been rescued.