Yiwu industrial park excuses official's smile 'out of courtesy'  

网曝官员面对下跪老人微笑 称系礼节性回应

14日，义乌工业园区张浒村村民80岁老人下跪向官员哭求反映问题，官员面对下无动于衷还笑容灿烂。中午，义乌工业园区针对此事回应称，真相并非如此，期间有村民跟该工作人员打招呼，他礼节性微笑回应。 [查看全文]

(ECNS) – A post by an official Weibo account has attempted to explain online photos showing an official smiling while three women are kneeling in front of him, according to the Southern Metropolis Daily.

The online post said villagers in Yiwu, Zhejiang province, were asking local officials for an explanation about why lands allocated to them had been sold without their knowledge.

One of the photos showed the official smiling and shaking hands with other people in front of three kneeling women, one of them over 80 years old and sobbing. Another photo showed him with a cigarette between his lips in front of the crying villagers.

The official Weibo account of the Yiwu Industrial Park published a video clip explaining the incident. In the video, the official tried to lift the women up but failed.

A local police official said the elderly woman was criticized later, and that the other two had been summoned.