May 22, 2008
Online lynch mobs find second post-quake target; Liaoning girl detained by the police
Via Speak4China which is rapidly becoming one of our favourite blogs: Shortly after Chinese netizens launched a "human flesh search engine" and elicited a tearful response from a group of three Sichuan students for their earthquake interview prank, the online lynch mobs have quickly found a new target in a Liaoning girl by the name of Gao Qianhui (高千惠). But this time we think that she kinda deserved it. First let's check out her crime, which is this 5 minute video you see on the right. Gao was basically annoyed with the 3 day period of national mourning during which she could not watch her favourite television programme nor play any games online and decided to record the video, in which she said some pretty nasty things about the victims of the Sichuan quake. Here are several rough translations of a few snippets:
"I turn on the TV and what do I see? Dead bodies, injured people, corpses, rotten bodies, all the crazy acts you guys are putting up. It's not that I want to watch these things. I have no choice. Look, now the entire internet is black-and-white and without colour. Do you think we're all colourblind like you? Have your eyes been hit by so much rubble you can't see any colour now?"Sigh... all you guys... if you're hit by the rubble just go suffer by yourself quietly... What are you screaming for? What rescue are you asking for? Not that I'm blaming you... you guys in Sichuan are in a terrible position in China. They say the Indian plate is moving in crashing into you guys. Don't you think you guys deserve it?
"I think this earthquake was not strong enough. If only it had just been a bit stronger to flip you guys over. Today we're mourning for you. Tomorrow we're donating money to you, huh? May 21 is such a great day. Lots of people trying to get married this year. And now we have to mourn for you. Do you think those couples should get married or not? What a spoilsport. May 20, May 21, such auspicious days, now all spent mourning for you. Come on, how many of you guys are dead? Just a few, is it not? We've got so many people in China anyway.
"F*ck... You're annoying everyone to death... What tricks are you guys playing! Do you think you're all very goodlooking? Which part of your body is that precious? People are giving you cash and giving you food. And you guys are now doing nothing? Sigh... these few days, it's just impossible to go anywhere without getting reminded of you silly c*nts... Everywhere I go people are saying 'Argh, there are aftershocks in Sichuan again, this and that'...
"As for that old lady who's been lying over there for over 100 hours? Why haven't you died yet? You trying to play the mummy?
"F*ck... the earthquake might as well rock all you guys to death... All you have given us are catastrophes... all your children are jinxes...
That was enough to send netizens into a frenzy and they soon went checking all her personal details and putting them up online. Subsequently, messages purporting to be from her family members were also posted online:
Message 1: Zhang Ya is my daughter, and as parents, we have failed in educating her. She’s still ignorant to the ways of the world. During this time of great suffering for the entire nation, she’s done something that the Chinese people can not forgive and can not accept. I know that everyone can’t forgive her, and the law won’t forgive her, but I hope all of you can understand the concern we have, as parents, for our child. I can only say to the people of Sichuan, the people of China: I’m sorry! Zhang Ya’s almost in emotional collapse… please, please don’t push her any more. We will give everyone an explanation, give the people of Sichuan an explanation. I know after this news came out her mother has been very worried… she almost can’t walk straight. I hope everyone can forgive her, okay? Her mother and I work in other parts of the country, but we will return to Liaoning immediately… please, please don’t harm her. Speaking as a father, this is my heart-felt apology and hope. As far as this unfilial daughter, we will work harder to supervise her, monitor her in the future. Her mother and I have decided that we will donate all of our savings to the victims of the Sichuan earthquake. I hope that we can all work hard to make it past this difficult period. I’m kneeling in front of the Sichuan people!!!”Message 2: I hope everyone can see this in a logical way. Zhang Ya’s behavior is just representative of all those ignorant children. Things like Audition (a game), Non-Mainstream (非主流, a culture/entertainment site)… the modern web has harmed and injured so many youths. Regardless of whether everyone can forgive her, as her parents we will absolutely tightly control and teach her going forward. I hope everyone can consider this incident from a logical perspective. I’m not expecting that everyone can forgive her, but at this moment of national trouble, I hope everyone can reach out with your helping hand and forgive this ignorant little girl. Zhang Ya only said these ignorant things because we didn’t teach and manager her properly. All of the responsibility for this lies on our shoulders as her parents. Please, everyone stop looking for her, we’re beginning!
Message 3: Hello to all netizens, I am Zhang Ya’s brother. I’m currently in Shenzhen, and just received my sister’s call this afternoon. After watching this video, to tell you the truth, I’m also disgusted… but she really didn’t mean it in a malicious way, it was just an impulsive moment of frustration that led her to say what she said: the world’s most disgusting, poisonous words. Now she’s really regretful, and really scared, she had no idea things would get this blown up. At the time, she just felt that the 3-day moratorium on all entertainment activities was too forced, and at a moment’s impulse recorded that video. But she knows she was wrong, now… I hope everybody can lessen the anger in their heart. Everyone can make mistakes, and she will give an explanation to the Chinese people, she will apologize to everyone… I’m preparing to go home right now, and I will take her to Sichuan so she can see for herself. [Translation by Speak4China]
Xinhua has now reported that the 21 year old Liaoning girl has been detained by police for investigation. Apart from the fact that the girl was orphaned at an early age, little else is know. Meanwhile, a discussion has ensued over whether the girl could be charged under Sections 42 and 47 of the Law on Public Security Administration Punishments (中华人民共和国治安管理处罚法), which relate to defamation and for endangering public stability.
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OMGWTF that's like soooooooooo not- u know?
..and that's the story of the first caramel cod
What I find even odder than the girl's rant (it's certainly in bad taste, but the kind of thing us old folks expect from uncouth, self-centered youth), is the online apologies from supposed family members. If she's an orphan, who are these people speaking up in her "defense" - and what motivates them?
You'd think she was raised in the USA by a conservative Republican family or something. :-)
I'd be pissed if I couldn't do anything for 3 days.
Granted I think its sick what she wrote, BUT she has every right to express her thoughts, in the West we have millions of people who write such nonsense about the holocaust, slavery in USA, 1994 northridge quake, Katrina, etc... what bothers me is that they hound her down because she doesn't want to be any part of this. And She doesn't have to apologize for anything! "Its better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what your not" So be it. But China as a 5000 year old civilization and can't stand individualism in its full force, especially when you don't follow the herd...I prefer to live in society with haters who express what they want,plus you'll always have love on the other side :)
liliac: What an unfortunate mindset you have. Freedom of speech is not a broad brush that you can paint on everything. People should have the freedom to express themselves albeit with one caveat - that the expression is not pointless and lacking in any value other than to satisfy the delirious person who expressed, especially if the expression was intended to provoke a "knee jerk" reaction from the public.
On the same token, if she has full right to express herself in the fashion that she did(as you've put it) Then everyone else has the right to harass her for her comments. It's two way street. Freedom of speech people can't simply expect to say anything and everything without repercussion.
Liliac, I am with you, she should be able to express herself, however stupid what she wants to say.
Booggeg, I am with you, the netizens should also be able to express themselves, even if it is to harass her.
But China, I am not with you - to detain her for that? On which ground?
And Shanghaiist, you think you support that? People going to jail for saying stupid things?
Freedom of speech! Not freedom to call for hate, negate the holocaust, or ask for the rebirth of the third Reich - that I want to be forbidden. But if we were to jail everybody who says something stupid or is selfish!
This does not bode well for any voices of dissent when there would be the chance of conflict with a foreign nation/bloc of nations and woe be to anyone in China from those countries.
"Booggeg", " Freedom of speech is not a broad brush that you can paint on everything." Perhaps there some validity in this, but I believe painting over anything you dislike is your right, buy it or take a photo of it and beat it! Thats all she did, such as the internet, private property, she didnt do in public ( China no way) of course there are repercussions, but your not going to be jailed for it those who disagree have no right to physically harm you. If I want to say, " I am sick of watchin Katrina victims on tv" you bet your horses I will get harass, but my mommy or the gov't can't make me say sorry to the public. Provoking makes the world more open, we don't live in a world of pink roses it has thorns too "the expression is not pointless and lacking in any value" thats your opinion, to her its valid. You or I have no right to stop her yapping :)
First of all, I'm getting annoyed by people's overuse of the the word "right". That is the most overrated word ever. "Rights" activists are using that world to an extend where we're all becoming desensitized to it. I also hate how rights activists are so contradictory in their gospel.
Case in point: "You or I have no right to stop her yapping :)" No one is imposing their "right" to forcing something on anyone else here. I'm sure she's posting public apologies because she is afraid for her life. Or afraid of further harassment. It's simply a tug of war battle of instigator and the reactive public, a battle to see which side can impose their will on the other. In this case, the public wants her head so she cries for them hoping that would persuade them not to engage further. It is the cumulative effect of the mob pressure that is making them to come out with these public apologies. You think if 5 people replied negatively to her video, she would be crying and saying sorry?
You are imposing your "right" "moral" or values whatever u want to call it, on her, "People should have the freedom to express themselves albeit with one caveat - that the expression is not pointless and lacking in any value ..." Yea, like I said she did it over the internet , know one is saying she was on our good side, it was wrong what she said, but we don't need big brother after her nor encouraging angry students to go after her head, its the internet! the mob went after her and the gov't supports it when its convenient because she doesn't say what they want her to say. besides she just a kid for crying out aloud, poor girl. btw never knew I was a "right activist" sounds like president's Bush "activist judges" for not abiding by certain people's sensitivity, values, and ideals ..oops!
Her being detained by the authorities is probably a good thing for her. Have you read the reaction to her video? people are calling to have her found and killed and ppl saying that executing her would not be out of line here.
Safer in a jail somewhere than to face the mob.
Even if nothing happens to her, this will follow her for the rest of her life. That is an agony that could have been avoided. Parents need to teach their young that what they say and do matters, even if they think they're too young.
She should be able to say what she said without being physically harmed or detained by the police.
However, she should also be aware that if she says what she says, some might want to physically harm her.
These are two very simple expressions of two different phenomena. The first denotes a flaw in the Chinese state that should not exist, and one day may not.
The second puts her lack of maturity in light. Basically, what we have here is your typical, self-centred youth who is out of touch with reality. Honestly, what she needs is a psychologist and emotional support, not a lynch mob.
totally agree with sonyactivision.
She shouldn't have been jailed. And no need to jail her at all! because this agony will just haunt her for a long long time, surely long enough for her to suffer from her stupid mistake. Whenever people meet her in the future, they'll just say: look, that's the ruthless crazy bitch.
She got herself a tough future ahead of her, there's really no need to jail her. She set up one for herself already.