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That is the “WE…WEI…WHAT?” column by Manya Koetse, unique publication in German by Goethe Institut China, go to Yi Magazin: WE…WEI…WHAT? Manya Koetse erklärt das chinesische Web.
It was December sixth of 2021 when a teenage boy posted a brief video on Chinese language social media. With a straight again, clear voice, and severe face, he regarded straight into the digicam and mentioned:
“Hey everybody, I’m Liu Xuezhou and I’m on the lookout for my organic dad and mom. I used to be born in between 2004 and 2006 and across the age of three months previous, I used to be purchased by my dad and mom, my adoptive dad and mom, in Datong in Shanxi. I’m wholesome. I don’t have any congenital bodily defects or illnesses; I don’t have any apparent birthmarks or scars. On the age of 4, my adoptive dad and mom handed away as a consequence of an accident. I’m now dwelling in Nangong, Xingtai, in Hebei Province. I examine in Shijiazhuang. I want I’d discovered my organic dad and mom sooner, to make up for what I missed. I hope you possibly can assist me unfold my message in order that those that suspect they is perhaps my dad and mom can see it.“
This video can be the beginning of a narrative adopted by hundreds of thousands of Chinese language netizens. It’s the story of Liu Xuezhou (刘学州). The seek for his dad and mom and his demise turned one of many greatest matters on China’s social media of the previous months.
Why did the tragic story of 1 teenage boy seize your complete nation? There are a number of causes. By posting his name for assist in discovering his organic dad and mom, Liu concerned Chinese language netizens in his journey from the beginning, permitting them to comply with his story in real-time by way of his social media and information studies. One other facet of Liu’s story is the resilience he confirmed regardless of his powerful life, one thing that many admired about him.
However extra importantly, Liu’s story is a part of a current broader curiosity within the tales behind the widespread downside of trafficking in girls and youngsters in China, with extra folks elevating consciousness on the tragedies attributable to these practices and demanding justice for the victims.
Moreover Liu’s story, the story of a Xuzhou mother-of-eight being tied up and dwelling in abominable situations in a shed additionally dominated on-line discussions for weeks on finish.
Liu’s Story: Bought, Orphaned, Deserted
After Liu Xuezhou posted the aforementioned video on Douyin, the Chinese language model of the favored TikTok brief video platform, it quickly went viral and numerous Chinese language information websites began reporting on Liu’s seek for his organic household.
Liu’s resilience was spectacular. In interviews, he mentioned that his story didn’t outline him and that he was decided to make one thing of his life. Since 2018, the younger Liu was working to earn cash whereas additionally going to highschool. His plan was to be admitted to school.
After his adoptive dad and mom died in a firework explosion, Liu was raised by his grandparents and was despatched to boarding faculty. Liu’s childhood was not a contented one. Being so younger with out dad and mom, he was a goal of faculty bullies and needed to change colleges a minimum of 4 instances till, by grade six, he had lastly discovered a faculty the place he may thrive.
Many individuals supported Liu and wished to assist the teenage boy, who was thought to have been kidnapped as a child after which purchased by his adoptive dad and mom by way of an middleman at a Datong lodge for 30,000 yuan ($4735).
Though Liu’s start certificates mentioned he was born in September of 2005, no one was positive how previous Liu really was, and his grandparents didn’t keep in mind the small print surrounding his adoption. By late 2021, as a 16-something-year-old, Liu felt it was time to get some solutions and discover his organic dad and mom. How did he find yourself being adopted? Was he kidnapped? Had been his dad and mom nonetheless on the market looking for him?
By way of his personal efforts – sped up by discovering his vaccination data – and with some assist of the police, Liu was in a position to hint down his organic dad and mom. On the night of December 15, Liu despatched a message to a journalist reporting on the case: “I discovered my mum and pa.”
His dad and mom’ story, nonetheless, was not what Liu had anticipated in any respect. After DNA checks confirmed that they had been actually his organic dad and mom, Liu was prepared to fulfill them. However what was presupposed to be a contented reunion turned out to be a bitter disappointment.
Liu’s organic dad and mom, who had been dwelling in Datong, weren’t collectively anymore. Liu quickly realized that he had not been kidnapped as a toddler, however that he had been offered on goal by his father. His dad and mom had been single once they had him, and Liu’s father turned out to have used the cash they earned by promoting their child to marry Liu’s start mom. They married and had one other son, however then ended up divorcing. Each remarried once more, and Liu’s father even received divorced two extra instances after that.
Though among the sad circumstances surrounding Liu’s reunion along with his dad and mom got here out by way of his posts on social media all through January of this yr, many of the particulars surrounding his scenario solely turned clear when Liu posted a farewell letter on his Weibo account on January twenty fourth, only a few minutes previous midnight.
Titled “Born with little, return with nothing,” Liu posted a prolonged letter explaining his scenario.
On this letter, Liu mentioned that apart from being offered as a toddler and turning into an orphan on the age of 4, he was additionally severely bullied by classmates and molested by a instructor in school. His aunt, whom he beloved as a mom, additionally left him behind after she moved away as a consequence of a damaged marriage.
As he spiraled into melancholy, Liu felt a spark of hope when he noticed the information about Solar Zhuo (孙卓), whose story turned one of many main trending information tales of 2021. In 2007, when Solar was solely 4, he was stolen off the road by a human trafficker. His organic dad and mom by no means gave up hope they might discover their son once more and sacrificed every little thing to have the ability to fund their search efforts. The Chinese language movie Dearest (亲爱的) was partly based mostly on their story.
After a years-long search, Solar was present in 2021 as a result of assist of authorities and face recognition expertise that helped hint the particular person suspected of abducting him. In an sudden twist, Solar said that he would like to stick with his adoptive dad and mom, who had raised him for a decade. The story triggered many on-line discussions and raised extra consciousness on the difficulty of the trafficking of kids in China in instances of the nation’s one-child coverage. Solar’s organic father spoke to the media saying: “For 2022, my greatest want is that every one the kidnapped youngsters can lastly be discovered.”
It was Solar Zhuo’s story that impressed Liu to seek for his personal dad and mom, and it was additionally Solar Zhuo’s story that introduced extra consideration for Liu’s preliminary video, which struck a chord with many who hoped that he may be reunited along with his dad and mom and really stick with them.
Liu described how his organic father didn’t appear blissful when Liu first contacted him, and appeared reluctant to fulfill. His organic father finally did come to see him, however their communication afterward was not easy. When his father informed Liu that he was offered as a child in order that he may pay for the bride value to marry Liu’s mom, Liu was heartbroken and couldn’t sleep for a number of days: he was not kidnapped, and his dad and mom by no means looked for him.
His mom additionally was not elated that her organic son had discovered his method again to her. Liu felt undesirable, once more, and was additionally looking for a house to reside and was unsure who to show to anymore. After he requested his organic father for assist in shopping for or renting a spot to reside, he was blocked on WeChat. Liu then determined to take his dad and mom to courtroom.
Sharing screenshots on social media of the developments between him and his dad and mom, Liu was condemned and bullied by netizens, who accused him of solely wanting to seek out his organic dad and mom for monetary features.
It was all an excessive amount of for the teenage boy. In his farewell letter, he expressed the hope that the traffickers and organic dad and mom can be punished for his or her deeds. Liu was later discovered to have dedicated suicide at a seashore within the metropolis of Sanya, and will not be rescued. Liu handed away inside a month after assembly his organic dad and mom on the age of simply 15 years previous.
By now, Liu’s farewell letter has been shared roughly 174,000 instances on Weibo, it was ‘preferred’ over 2,4 million instances and has obtained hundreds of feedback.
The subject of Liu’s demise exploded on social media and led to nationwide outrage. Many individuals sympathized with the boy and had been offended in any respect who failed him: “Poor little one, deserted and offered off by his dad and mom, bullied and humiliated by his schoolmates, molested and discriminated by his instructor, cyberbullied by keyboard warriors. Now he’s lifeless!”
The injustice of Liu’s scenario – beginning with how he was offered as a toddler – is what angered folks most. China Digital Instances just lately described how on the Weibo web page of Dr. Li Wenliang, one of many medical doctors who raised the alarm in regards to the coronavirus outbreak, many individuals additionally point out Liu Xuezhou. Dr. Li Wenliang was one of many eight so-called ‘whistleblowers’ who tried to warn his colleagues in regards to the Wuhan virus outbreak in late 2019, however was censored and reprimanded by native police for making “false feedback.” He later turned contaminated with the virus himself whereas working on the Wuhan Central Hospital and handed away on February seventh of 2020, sparking a wave of anger and disappointment on social media.
Over the previous two years, Dr. Li’s Weibo web page has turn out to be a digital Wailing Wall the place folks ship little messages to recollect Dr. Li, inform about their very own anxieties and worries, but additionally tackle social injustices. As recorded by China Digital Instances, one amongst hundreds of feedback mentioned:
“Two years in the past as we speak, I had a sleepless evening due to you, and my Weibo account as soon as received shut down as a result of I posted one thing about you. Over the previous two years, I’ve usually questioned: will this world turn out to be a greater place? However between the Liu Xuezhou incident and the girl in Xuzhou with eight children, I’ve been disillusioned time and time once more. In case you occur to see Liu Xuezhou, please be good to him.“
Taking a look at Dr. Li’s Weibo account as we speak, it isn’t simply Liu Xuezhou who’s introduced up by commenters; ‘the girl in Xuzhou’ can be talked about by dozens of individuals as somebody experiencing injustice. However who’s she?
The Chained-Up Mom in Xuzhou
In late January of 2022, proper across the identical time when Liu Xuezhou was one of many greatest matters on Chinese language social media, a TikTok video exhibiting a girl chained up in a shed went viral on-line and triggered huge outrage with hundreds of individuals demanding solutions in regards to the girl’s circumstances.
The video, filmed by an area vlogger within the village of Huankou in Xuzhou, confirmed how the girl was stored in a unclean hut and not using a door within the freezing chilly. She didn’t even put on a coat, and he or she appeared confused and unable to specific herself.
To present the total story, right here is the unique video that brought on the social media storm, which continues to be ongoing as we speak (tw distressing content material, unsure why the lock is blurred, as if that’s the most stunning factor about this video..) pic.twitter.com/UOA5zrfeQ4
— Manya Koetse (@manyapan) January 30, 2022
Different TikTok movies that got here out across the identical time confirmed how the girl’s husband, a person by the identify of Dong Zhimin (董志民), was enjoying and speaking with their eight youngsters within the household house proper subsequent to the hut the place the mom was confined.
The video brought on a storm on social media. Many netizens apprehensive in regards to the girl’s circumstances. Why was she chained up? Was she a sufferer of human trafficking? Was she being abused? How may she have had eight infants? Was she compelled to have so many youngsters? Whereas netizens had been speculating in regards to the case and venting their anger, Weibo shut down among the hashtags devoted to this subject, however the subject quickly popped up all over the place, and folks began making artworks and writing essays in gentle of the case.
Following public calls for, native authorities began wanting into the case. An preliminary assertion by Feng County, the place the village of Huankou is positioned, was issued on January 28 and it mentioned that the girl, named Yang (杨), married her husband in 1998 and that there was no indication that she was a sufferer of human trafficking.
The lady was coping with psychological issues and would show sudden violent outbursts, beating youngsters and older folks. The household allegedly thought it was finest to separate her from the household house throughout these episodes, letting her keep chained up in a small hut subsequent to the home.
The primary assertion raised extra questions than it answered and extra folks, together with influential Weibo bloggers and media insiders, began investigating the case. In the meantime, it turned clear that husband Dong Zhimin was giving interviews to different vloggers flocking to Huankou. Moreover speaking about his eight youngsters (seven sons, one daughter) as future suppliers for the household, he additionally used his newly-acquired ‘fame’ to make cash by way of social media. This solely led to extra on-line anger about Dong exploiting his spouse and youngsters.
Because the social media storm intensified, extra official statements ensued. On January 30, Feng County native officers responded to the controversy in a second assertion, wherein the Xuzhou mom was recognized as Yang *Xia (杨某侠) who allegedly as soon as was “a beggar on the streets” in the summertime of 1998 when she was taken in by Dong household and ended up marrying their 30-something son Dong Zhimin.
Native officers didn’t correctly test and confirm Yang’s identification info when registering the wedding certificates and the native household planning division additionally made errors in implementing contraception measures and following up with the household. The assertion mentioned that Yang had been identified with schizophrenia and was now receiving remedy.
A 3rd, fourth, and even fifth assertion issued by authorities on February seventh, tenth, and twenty third confirmed what many on Weibo had suspected all alongside, particularly that Yang had certainly been a sufferer of human trafficking. Xuzhou authorities mentioned their investigation had introduced them to the village of Yagu in Yunnan, a spot that was talked about on Yang’s marriage certificates.
Yang was recognized as Xiaohuamei (小花梅), born and raised in Yagu. Yang’s DNA had been in comparison with that of the household of Xiaohuamei, and the DNA match confirmed that Yang was certainly Xiaohuamei. In response to the statements, Xiaohuamei married and moved to a different metropolis in 1994, however she divorced and returned to her village two years later, which is when she allegedly additionally confirmed indicators of psychological sickness.
Her dad and mom, now deceased, then allegedly ordered a feminine fellow villager to take their daughter to Jiangsu to get married there. In response to the girl, she took Xiaohuamei along with her on a practice from Yunnan to Jiangsu’s Donghai, however she allegedly ‘went lacking’ shortly after arrival. The lady by no means reported her as lacking to the police and he or she by no means notified the household.
That girl, together with one other man and Dong Zhimin, at the moment are held criminally chargeable for unlawful detainment and human trafficking. Xiaohuamei was reportedly offered to a person in Donghai for five,000 yuan ($790) in 1998. Although Xiaohuamei managed to flee, she was offered twice once more, finally ending up with the Dong household.
Whereas particulars surrounding the case of the ‘chained Xuzhou mom of eight’ are nonetheless being mentioned on Chinese language social media, it has turn out to be clear that by now, ‘Yang’ has come to signify many extra girls like her. Over the previous few weeks, the tales of different girls who additionally is perhaps a sufferer of human trafficking have surfaced, and the general public outcry demanding justice for trafficked girls is ongoing.
One Social Media Spark Beginning a Wildfire
Each within the case of Liu Xuezhou and the Xuzhou mom, it must be famous that their tales initially didn’t catch the general public’s consideration as a result of official information media reported them, however due to first-hand movies being posted on TikTok (Douyin) after which being picked up and shared by greater accounts.
Each Liu’s video and the brief video that includes the mom of eight had been posted on accounts that weren’t essentially very talked-about: beginning as a small spark in an internet setting with over 900 million social media customers, they had been shared, commented on, after which unfold like wildfire.
Each tales developed in real-time whereas netizens had been following the case, each tales finally turned too massive for Chinese language state media to disregard, and each Liu and Yang highlighted greater social points in up to date China, primarily these regarding human trafficking.
Since these instances went viral, there was a heightened give attention to the issue of human trafficking, which principally happens in China’s poorer areas with weak governance. The trafficking of particularly girls and youngsters has numerous functions, together with compelled marriage and unlawful adoption in areas the place there’s a scarcity of ladies (together with a desire for child boys).
China Day by day just lately reported that lawmakers and advisers at the moment are pushing for heavier punishment for human trafficking crimes, suggesting that the present penalties imposed on the patrons of ladies and youngsters are too weak; the utmost jail sentence for many who buy kidnapped girls and youngsters is three years.
Within the case of the Xuzhou mom, there was on-line censorship however the ongoing intense public outrage finally did result in higher-level analysis into the case. The mom was rescued from her horrible scenario, the human traffickers concerned are being held accountable, and so are 17 officers, who will likely be punished by authorities for his or her wrongdoings within the case.
As for Liu Xuezhou, his adoptive relations have just lately filed a request on the Sanya Public Safety Bureau to launch one other investigation into his case. Their request was accepted on February twenty third, with a number of folks being suspected of prison offenses, finally resulting in his demise. On Weibo, many individuals at the moment are demanding punishment for Liu’s organic dad and mom.
In late January of this yr, following the tragic ending to Liu’s story, Chinese language state media emphasised how the widespread consideration for these sorts of tales within the social media period can be altering how authorities companies ought to work together with the general public.
In response to Dr. Liu Leming, affiliate professor at East China College’s Political Science college, authorities companies must comply with up and reply extra rapidly to social incidents like these within the web period: “When public points emerge, people who find themselves concerned in social issues or incidents wish to know, greater than something, whether or not their requests have been seen and who will deal with their issues.”
In gentle of those current tales, the general public is blissful that actions have been taken, however they aren’t glad with how these instances had been dealt with. Many argue that authorities have failed in being clear, that native governments haven’t finished sufficient to stop these instances from occurring, and that China ought to do extra to place an finish to human trafficking.
And so, they’re nonetheless posting the tales of kids like Liu and ladies like Xiaohuamei to maintain elevating consciousness and to maintain pressuring native authorities and lawmakers to take extra motion to eradicate these practices.
As Liu is not alive and Xiaohuamei, nonetheless hospitalized, can not defend herself, Chinese language netizens preserve elevating their voices for them. In doing so, they haven’t simply impacted how authorities handled these particular instances, however they’re additionally altering how instances equivalent to these will likely be dealt with sooner or later.
One Weibo person discussing Liu and the Xuzhou mom wrote: “We have to resolve these sorts of tales: who’s in charge, who made errors, and the place can we go from right here?”
Within the meantime, on-line posts, movies, and artworks honor each Liu and Xiaohuamei, in order that their tales is not going to be forgotten. “Expensive baby, springtime has come,” one amongst hundreds of messages nonetheless flooding Liu Xuezhou’s Weibo web page says: “You will have endured too many issues that it is best to have by no means skilled. It ought to have been us, the adults, caring for this stuff for you. You please go and relaxation now, we are going to end the remaining for you.”
By Manya Koetse
Follow @whatsonweibo
For info and assist on psychological well being and suicide, worldwide helplines could be discovered at www.befrienders.org.
Cao Yin and Li Yang. 2022. “Policymakers, Lawmakers Reply to Opinion Voiced On-line.” China Day by day Hong Kong, January 28, Web page 1-2.
Featured picture by Ama for Yi Magazin.
This textual content was written for Goethe-Institut China underneath a CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0-DE license (Artistic Commons) as a part of a month-to-month column in collaboration with What’s On Weibo.
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