Frank Ching

An unlikely Chinese hero

When a waitress lashed out with a knife, the case caught public imagination

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A public outcry in China over the case of a woman arrested for stabbing a local official who assaulted her after she refused to provide sexual services reflects the widespread distrust of officials and sympathy for the underdog – even someone who may face murder charges.

Deng Yujiao, a 21-year-old waitress at the Xiongfeng Hotel in Badong county of Hubei province, apparently resisted when three officials demanded “special services.” After some pushing and shoving, she lashed out with a knife, stabbing 44-year-old Deng Guida, who later died, as well as injuring Huang Dezhi, 41. The men worked for the business promotion office in the town of Yesanguan. (The Dengs are not related.) The woman apparently called police and turned herself in.

After the news broke, there was a strong public reaction. Within a week, more than 50,000 people had posted comments on Sina.com, a popular forum. While the authorities initially refused to comment, the public reaction caused the Badong police to issue news bulletins. The township government itself then took over and appointed a spokesman.

The Deng Yujiao case has clearly caught the public imagination. A group of university students in Beijing staged a public demonstration, with one woman, wrapped in white cloth and wearing a mask, bearing a sign that read: “Anyone may become Deng Yujiao.”

This reaction is reminiscent of a case in Shanghai last year when a young man, Yang Jia, dashed into a police station and stabbed six policemen to death. It turned out he had been previously abused by the police when they suspected that he was a bicycle thief. That case became a cause célèbre , with many people rooting for him even after he was convicted of murder. He was eventually executed.

The Deng Yujiao case sparked anger because it was seen as a case of a lone woman pitted against three rich and powerful men who were demanding sexual favours. One of them repeatedly slapped her on the head with a thick wad of cash.

There were also suspicions that the local government was initially trying to help the officials involved by depicting Ms. Deng, whom the public saw as the victim, as little more than a prostitute.

Right now, it is clear that many people in China do not have faith in the authorities, including the police and the court system. There is no rule of law as understood in the outside world. Until China develops such a system, a lot of people will continue to identify with individuals who dare to take on the authorities, cheering on those who have the courage to defy those in positions of power.

The widespread public support for Yang Jia did not help him escape capital punishment. It remains to be seen whether support for Ms. Deng will help her escape a charge of murder.

One positive sign is that the case has attracted attention in Beijing. On May 26, she was released on bail after having been held on suspicion of murder for more than two weeks. Yesterday, the official Xinhua news agency reported that both officials present when Deng Guida was stabbed have been fired. Mr. Huang, the wounded man, was also kicked out of the Communist Party because he had “pushed, shoved and verbally insulted a waitress who refused to accompany them to take a bath,” Xinhua reported. His colleague was fired because the incident had caused a “bad social effect.”

Although a murder charge may appear unlikely, Ms. Deng is not out of the woods yet. But officials, aware of the public mood, will want to proceed with caution. After all, she is now a national hero.

译文:            

一位女子因刀刺强迫她提供性服务的地方官员而被捕，中国舆论哗然。此事反映了人们普遍对官员不信任，对弱者的同情——哪怕是那些可能面临谋杀指控弱者。

　　面对三位官员提出的“特殊服务”要求，湖北巴东县雄风宾馆21岁的女服务员邓玉娇作出抵抗。经过一番推推搡搡，她用刀刺死了44岁的邓贵大，刺伤了41岁的黄德智，然后报警自首。

　　消息传出来之后，公众反应热烈。在一周之内，有超过五万人在新浪网上贴评论。在公众的压力下，巴东警方发布新闻公告。政府然后接手，并任命了发言人。

　　邓玉娇案显然抓住了公众的想象力。一位女性身裹白布，戴着面具，旁边摆着标语“谁都可能成为邓玉娇”。

　　公众的反应令人想起去年的杨佳案。年轻男子杨佳冲入警察局刺死六名警员。有消息指，杨佳之前被警察怀疑是偷自行车的贼，并遭到虐待。此案名声大噪，即使在杨佳被判谋杀罪之后，仍然有很多人支持杨佳。杨佳最终被处决。

　　邓玉娇案之所以引发愤怒，因为人们把它视为一位弱女子反抗三名有财有权之人的性要求的案子。邓玉娇被其中一人用厚厚的一叠现金扇打头部。

　　有人怀疑地方政府最初试图帮助涉案官员，把公众眼中的受害者邓玉娇描述得跟妓女差不多。

　　很显然，如今中国很多人不相信当局，不相信警察和法院系统。那里没有外界所理解的那种法治。在中国发展出那样的法治系统之前，很多人会继续认同胆敢和当局对着干的人，为那些有勇气反抗当权者的人喝彩。

　　一个积极的迹象是，此案引起了北京的关注。据新华社报道，涉案的两名官员被解除职务。邓玉娇的结局未定。但意识到的公众情绪的官方将谨慎行事。毕竟，她如今是一位国家英雄。

（作者：Frank Ching；原标题：一个出人意料的中国英雄）