... as visa protest reflects distrust
By Xu Chi |
June 29, 2011, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THOUSANDS of Red Cross donors are asking the Australian Embassy in Beijing not to issue a visa to a woman they claim is trying to flee with their cash, as confidence in the charity plummets.
The embassy is being bombarded with calls and emails imploring staff to refuse the application by Guo Meimei, who gained notoriety after claiming to be general manager of "Red Cross Commerce" and flaunted her lavish lifestyle on microblog weibo.com.
The Red Cross Society of China has denied the existence of Red Cross Commerce and said 20-year-old Guo had no links with the charity.
Guo has now denied any connection with the Red Cross.
However, web users shocked by Guo's boasts of owning sports cars, designer handbags and villas are unconvinced.
Netizens are asking whether China's Red Cross has been abusing donors' money and questioning its transparency.
Thousands of web users are adding their names to a letter published on the microblog asking the Australian Embassy not to issue Guo a visa, fearing she will run off with "their donation money."
The letter says they believe Guo had some relationship with the Red Cross and that her extravagant lifestyle could be funded by their donations, as no-one has said what Guo does for a living.
It claims that the government is doing little to investigate the case, so they must, even though the Red Cross has threatened legal action.
The protest campaign began after netizens saw Guo stating online that she was planning on a trip to Australia with her mother next week to wave goodbye to all her troubles.
Although this post was quickly deleted, screenshots spread quickly.
Web users claim there are many unanswered questions about the affair.
They ask why the Red Cross has asked police to investigate Guo for damaging its reputation, yet officers took no action when she was seen and photographed at a Beijing airport on Monday.
At the airport, Guo asked reporters and netizens to "stop fooling around."
An official with the Australian Embassy, surnamed Liu, told Shanghai Daily that they didn't know whether Guo was applying for a visa, and wouldn't disclose personal information in any case.
This is not the first time the charity has been embroiled in controversy recently.
On April 15, a web user revealed that the Red Cross's Shanghai Luwan District Branch spent 9,859 yuan (US$1,523) on a dinner. The organization's Secretary General Wang Rupeng said this "seriously violated regulations and smeared the image" of the organization.
The Red Cross promised to enhance transparency by setting up a platform to release information and close loopholes in financial management.
The embassy is being bombarded with calls and emails imploring staff to refuse the application by Guo Meimei, who gained notoriety after claiming to be general manager of "Red Cross Commerce" and flaunted her lavish lifestyle on microblog weibo.com.
The Red Cross Society of China has denied the existence of Red Cross Commerce and said 20-year-old Guo had no links with the charity.
Guo has now denied any connection with the Red Cross.
However, web users shocked by Guo's boasts of owning sports cars, designer handbags and villas are unconvinced.
Netizens are asking whether China's Red Cross has been abusing donors' money and questioning its transparency.
Thousands of web users are adding their names to a letter published on the microblog asking the Australian Embassy not to issue Guo a visa, fearing she will run off with "their donation money."
The letter says they believe Guo had some relationship with the Red Cross and that her extravagant lifestyle could be funded by their donations, as no-one has said what Guo does for a living.
It claims that the government is doing little to investigate the case, so they must, even though the Red Cross has threatened legal action.
The protest campaign began after netizens saw Guo stating online that she was planning on a trip to Australia with her mother next week to wave goodbye to all her troubles.
Although this post was quickly deleted, screenshots spread quickly.
Web users claim there are many unanswered questions about the affair.
They ask why the Red Cross has asked police to investigate Guo for damaging its reputation, yet officers took no action when she was seen and photographed at a Beijing airport on Monday.
At the airport, Guo asked reporters and netizens to "stop fooling around."
An official with the Australian Embassy, surnamed Liu, told Shanghai Daily that they didn't know whether Guo was applying for a visa, and wouldn't disclose personal information in any case.
This is not the first time the charity has been embroiled in controversy recently.
On April 15, a web user revealed that the Red Cross's Shanghai Luwan District Branch spent 9,859 yuan (US$1,523) on a dinner. The organization's Secretary General Wang Rupeng said this "seriously violated regulations and smeared the image" of the organization.
The Red Cross promised to enhance transparency by setting up a platform to release information and close loopholes in financial management.
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