05.22.08

“QQ” Report Brings Wrath of Chinese Blogosphere Down on Red Cross

Posted in Media/Internet, Rumors, The Wenchuan Earthquake at 20:48 by SHTig

Why do so many people believe a bunk QQ rumor?

Here is a wow story (重庆渝北区红十字会否认用救灾款吃喝). To summarize the story:

The Yubei, Chongqing Municipality Red Cross made an appeal for donations after the May 12 earthquake in nearby Sichuan province. And for the past few days, a message has been passed around on QQ that says (translation): “On May 16, the Red Cross of Yubei District, Chongqing City got a great response to its appeal for donations of cash and goods to area hospitals for disaster relief. However, at noon today, all of the Red Cross members hand lunch at the best restaurant in Yubei, occupying 6 tables at RMB 6,000 per table, having both lunch and dinner there.”

The QQ message led many “netizens” to question whether the Red Cross used donation funds to whoop it up, and to attack the Red Cross by saying that even if it wasn’t misusing funds, this is no time to be whooping it up at a feast.

The story goes on to quote an official from the Yubei Red cross who said, “on the 16th, we were so busy collecting money. How would we have had time to go to that hotel and eat and drink. Besides, the oversight department has extremely strict standards on our donation collection, no one would have the audacity to use donations for (personal) meals.” Another Red Cross official went on to explain that a Yubei Construction Committee member had invited them as guests that day to have lunch at a local restaurant, and that “If netizens are saying that we used public funds for our meals and that we had 6 tables and whatnot, well it’s just not true”. The Construction Committee Office of Yubei District, Chongqing confirmed that they had invited the Red Cross workers to have lunch, and that because the Planning Bureau’s cafeteria was full, they went to an outside local restaurant. A total of 17 people from the Construction Committee and the Red Cross ate together, spending a total of 786 RMB.

My comments? First, the QQ allegation is that the Red Cross ate and drank up a bill of over US$5,000! Any reasonable thinking person should reasonably deduce that this is just not very likely. But the story puts the issue to rest. The Red Cross people went to a local restaurant as guests of the Construction Committee. They had a lunch that cost $112 total for 17 people. It was totally legit. Chinese blogosphere is littered with posts attacking the Yubei Red Cross. That’s less than $100 for lunch for 17 people. But that hasn’t stopped the bashing of the Red Cross. Even with this explanation, netizens are bashing the Yubei Red Cross for various, unsubstantiated, reasons. I just don’t get it.

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