Impudent tongue

China’s most destructive earthquake of modern times struck Wenchuan Sichuan province in China on May 12. This mountainous region was a very beautiful valley, a place where pandas also live. The powerful earthquake toppled thousands of homes, factories and offices, trapping students in schools. The death toll, now 62,000 is likely to go as high as 80,000 or more.

The Chinese government quickly mobilized 50,000 soldiers to help with rescue efforts, and is now faced three main challenges: to prevent epidemics, to provide shelter for five million homeless, and to tackle 35 “quake lakes” formed by landslides blocking rivers.

Many countries are providing humanitarian assistance to help China in its quake relief efforts. Chinese people are touched and express their gratitude to the international community for its sympathy and help.

In China, millions of grass-roots volunteers have raced to do what they can for the survivors. Unofficial and unorganized volunteers are pouring into worst hit quake areas to do their bit.

After the quake, overseas Chinese furiously called friends in the homeland and anxiously followed the China quake news on TV or Internet. Many are soliciting money and supplies for the disaster survivors.

In the small Chinese community on Saipan, people sprang into action for fundraising as soon as word of the massive earthquake surfaced. Our newspaper received lots of calls from Chinese guest workers. Most of them want to know how to donate money to aid the disaster victims. Over the phone I could feel their sorrow, nervousness and pain. They said: “We are very worried because we are far away,” or “ We want know how to donate money,” or “I haven’t had a job for several months. Twenty dollars is not big money but I want be involved in the relief efforts,” or “All the news on TV is in English. I only understand the photos. My co-workers and I rushed to the Internet café to check news in Chinese online. We are worried about our families.” Hearing their trembling voices, sometimes they pause, and I can imagine tears running down their faces. I fought back my own tears and, in the momentary emptiness of my mind, asked the silly question, “ Are you from Sichuan? Are you Sichuanese?” At the other end of the phone, silence, hesitation for a moment, and the reply of an uncomprehending voice “No. We are from Jiang Su province.” I wanted to offer an apology but couldn’t find the words. I was wondering if I, or if I will ever, understand our Chinese readers.

Some of garments workers launched campaigns at their factories and donated their hard-earned money. Some Chinese guest workers, after learning that U.S. mainland American Red Cross donated 10 million US dollar for the China quake relief, they went to the local CNMI Red Cross chapter made donations and show their thankfulness.

Understanding that guest workers were anxiously tracking China quake news, our paper placed lots of quake-related developing news for the last three weeks. One of these news articles related how Falun Gong was discouraging donations and saying the earthquake can be attributed to some sort of bad karma for the Chinese government and Chinese people. Actress Sharon Stone recently made similar comments. This provocation aroused anger among the Chinese community around the country, as well as on Saipan.

Falun Gong members on Saipan called our newspaper, threatening to sue our paper for publishing a story condemning Falun Gong campaigns. I brushed off such nonsense by those who do not even dare to provide their names. To Falun Gong, your remarks are inappropriate; your indifference to human life is insensitive; your disrespect for the lost souls is ignorant; your threat of suing is idle; your hearsay comments range from plausible to bizarre and are ridiculous.

My advice is, instead of making a hasty display of your belief, take this natural disaster as tool to spread the karma theory to those earthquake vicitims, perhaps call your family and friends in China to show your care and have compassion.