"Please end the indifference": Netizens react to toddler's road accident in China
Two-year-old Yue Yue is still fighting for her life in hospital.
Grueling footage that has sparked outrage online shows her as the victim of two successive hit-and-run incidents outside a hardware market in Foshan, Guangdong Province. It shows more than a dozen passersby ignored the injured Yue Yue as she was left barely moving in a pool of her own blood, only to be rescued 10 minutes later by a garbage scavenger Chen Xianmei.
In an emotional video posted online, you can see Yue Yue's parents kneeling with their foreheads to the ground in a gesture of extreme deference. Chen looks evidently uncomfortable at the attention and tries to get the couple to stand up.
According to local reports, Chen has been criticised in China; many have accused her of being a fame-seeker. However, Yue Yue's mother says she believes Chen was showing the goodness in human nature.
The China Daily reports Chen has been rewarded 10-thousand yuan by government officials for her good deed; that is nearly US$1,600. She has been quoted as saying, "the most important thing is to save a life. She was just a little child."
Thousands of Chinese netizens are using the hashtag – Please end the indifference (请停止冷漠) to raise awareness online. The story has been the most popular topic on Sina Weibo since Monday afternoon.
One user, @LiuYuHan_blue (刘宇涵_blue), reflected on what had caused the tragedy: "Take a look at what happened to good Samaritans before...Our citizens have become too scared to practice conscience. This is our nation's heartbreak."
Another user weighed in on how to stop the widespread hesitancy in offering a helping hand. @LiangYuanMingYue (梁苑明月) wrote: "In order to end the indifference, we must first end the fraud against good Samaritans through media reports, legal protection and social uproar!"
Netizens are also condemning the driver who told local reporters that if Yue Yue survived the accident, it would cost him significantly more money than if she did not. @ColaRing3 (可樂戒指3) wrote: "I only want to ask him this – what if she was your daughter?"
You can follow the online discussion on Sina Weibo's dedicated page to Yue Yue here, and watch the latest videos related to the story here.
I am angered at people who just stood by and watch her fight for her life. In my eyes those people are as guilty as the driver who hit her. They all should go to jail for a long time. this is absolutely unacceptable.
I pray that a miracle can happen and save this little angel. No one can ever imagine her pain n suffering being run over by these heavy vehicles. She was still conscious n tearing when the lady saved her. It leaves me heavy hearted to know this is happening.
The indifference is staggering but it is every in the world, not only in China. The fact that this was a child though makes me angry and heartbroken. Not once but twice was she run over and the fact that another parent with her child clearly walked away to avoid going near her is unforgivable. The world has truly become one for one. People need to search their hearts to revive empathy and compassion for others. These are the beauty of the human soul. This incident clearly shows us that we all need to check why we do what we do (or not) because this child is a symbol of the ills that exist in our world. I hope that she survives....I also hope that those who ignored her never forget their lack of conscience and suffer for it eternally.
they dont care about humanity because their country are most populated.i think people who just ignore the child are more become stupidity.
Today news some of the witness said they didn't see or no time to save!! I felt like wanted to slap those ppl million million times! If the girl were their daughter and other ppl no give help, what will they think?? They do not have heart, they also not human or even animals!!
It’s one part of the dark side of human nature! It’s pain full, but real!
CHINESE PEOPLE all they think is money power and influence. They are too GREEDY.. i hope you all suffer the same fate of that poor kid! YOU dont have a heart.. and now youn critcized the only person who was brave enough to lend a hand and even accusing her of being a fameseeker??? who are you to judge HER??? tsk!
After 5 days of flighting, the girl passed away. Very very sad...
No words, just overwhelming nausea and horror, sorrow and pain for so precious a life suffering alone on the street. An INNOCENT child, an infant, looking only to the adults in her life for guidance and protection, for love.
Another reason to appreciate and fight for the survival of our country, the United States! I see over and over other nations, even so called great oners like China, who have zero humane standards of care for their children. A culture so different from ours that dead or dying bodies on the streets is no shock or surprise, but a part of their daily life boggles the mind.To comprehend a society that tolerates human suffering as karma, or parents sins or another leadership is difficult, but to ignore it is stupid.
Maybe technology has a truer ability in that we can be made aware of what has been happening since the beginning of mankind. What can we do? Love. Love ourselves. Love those around us. SMILE and engage with every child in your life, be it in a grocery line or birthday party or whwerever. Give. Find a cause and thoroughly engage. Follow up. Adopt a pooor family in your area. They are everywhere and growing. Share of yourself, lift a bag, open a door, bring awareness to every situation where you are. Beleive me that the children of today need love and hope more than anything else.
My heart and prayers go out to the mother of this little girl. 7 weeks ago my 35 year old son was murdered in Florida, and left behind a beautiful 2 yr. old son. I look forward to moving there to be a hands on grandmother more than yoiu can imagine, and I hope that my son has met this little girl in heavern and loved her too.
The girl's parents also have duty.
It is heartbroken seeing a two years old girl run over by two cars and dozens of people who could just ignored the fact she was injured, struggling in her pool of blood. Those who ignored the little girl shall be punished by their own conciseness by a sense of growing moral guilt. Why would people accuse others for showing goodness? A garbage scavenger who financially struggles in her life, without fame, money, rescued a toddler because she had her sympathy on her. She would know that was a life. Stop the indifference' in China can not be exercised without inputs from the ordinary Chinese. Trying to cover up the negative side of China, be afraid of seeking own consciousness , lacking of courage to show cares and thoughtfulness to the society are injecting tremendous negative element culturally to the once modest, loving country.
a lot of positive tghins about her. In other words the author is making a big deal out of the FEW haters and using them to generalize the whole Chinese society. I find that disingenuous at best. Finally, I still don't see how rewarding the good samaritan in this case is victimizing her as the author is arguing. I left a very expensive camera in a small restaurant while touring Sichuan recently. By the time I realized this we were already 2 hours away and since we were in a less developed area we couldn't even call the restaurant. Our tour guide and driver went out of their way to help me get the camera back. For their efforts I gave them 500 RMB which is a good portion of their monthly salary. According to the author my action will somehow change the behavior of the tour guide so next time she would only help if there are monetary rewards. I find this silly at best.
She was only a child All children go to heevan in the Christian faith, because they are too young to understand religion yet or to have beliefs. So, she is in heevan, IMHO. I pray that God gives her a little kiss for me.
Among all voices demanding reconstruction of moral in China, and among the outrage overwhelming the whole country, I just haven't seen any single voice demanding the moral reconstruction of the government, of the officers. I as a Chinese, think it is the government, the leaders of this country, who need to reconstruct their moral world. Only if there is a good government and good leaders, will the people of the country become good, too.