Domestic Affairs

Post-quake rumors harm victims

(People's Daily Online)
Updated: 2010-05-07 16:56

It was normal that opinions differed on social support and government aid for the Yushu earthquake. It was also understandable that people might hold different opinions especially when the earthquake victims were still in danger.

However, some rumors were spread to cause trouble. Foreign media, including the Associated Press, the AFP, the Voice of Germany, BBC and others contributed to the rumors, while some rumors originated from the Dalai clique. Many scholars and experts in China responded to these rumors, saying that they should be condemned, and the conspiracies behind the rumors should be uncovered.

Ye Hailin, expert on international issues from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, has deep insight into these rumors. He analyzed these rumors in an objective and thorough way. Ye said that the rumors apparently lacked logic, but the foreign media reported these rumors with absolute certainty. Besides, rumors about the Yushu earthquake were made one after another, and all these rumors apparently constituted an organized attack.

There were rumors surrounding almost all aspects of the earthquake, from the cause of the earthquake and the relief work to the support provided by society. All these rumors directly criticized the Chinese government and society. Of course, we believe that the government would not let these rumors affect their relief work. However, the distorted media coverage and non-constructive criticisms obviously did harm to the quake victims. They only took advantage of the earthquake to achieve their purpose by manipulating public opinion.

Two groups of people liked to make and spread rumors. One of them was reporters of foreign media who hold a grudge against China. The other was the representatives of the Dalai clique, who have been attacking the Chinese government for half a century. The foreign media always boasted that they valued justice and morality, while the Dalai clique always claimed to protect the interests of the Tibetan residents by doing nothing. It was not surprising that they took advantage of the disaster to make aggressive comments and create disharmony in China.

After seeing the dreadful situation quake victims faced, many people shed tears of sadness in sympathy with those victims. How could those rumor-mongers easily ignore the victims and put their own interests first?

It was because they lacked a sense of responsibility to the earthquake victims. In this situation, though they knew they would cause great harm to others, they still did it. To some foreign media and the Dalai clique, the Tibetan people were just foreigners or people who used to be serfs. Since they were not from the same country, they held no responsibility to them. As a result, no matter what they did or what harm they brought to the earthquake victims, these foreign media and the Dalai clique would not be held responsible.

People who held ulterior motives could chase self-interest, make and spread rumors as much as they like. However, if the Chinese earthquake victims were harmed due to their acts, would they pay for it? Absolutely not. It was easy for them to criticize others, but it was too hard for them to take moral responsibilities.

A rumor is like a tornado it causes devastation and then moves on.