A Tibet demonstration on the campus of Duke University in Durham, N.C., turned intense on April 9 as pro-Tibet and pro-Beijing participants faced off. For one Chinese student who seemingly was a bystander, the event became ugly and the consequences reached her home and parents in China.
The female Chinese student, who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation, apparently chose not to take sides in the demonstration. Afterwards, she was labeled pro-Tibet and became the target of threatening messages. Her name, phone number, and other personal details were posted on the Duke Chinese Students and Scholars Association (DCSSA) Web site. Pictures and videos of her were also posted online. The messages have since been deleted from the Web site.
Personal information of the student's parents in China was also posted on popular Chinese Internet forums. There have been unconfirmed reports that their home was attacked.
Adam Weiss, a Duke student and active member of the Duke Human Rights Coalition, spoke to the student a few times. Weiss said the student "seems to be doing OK," but is concerned with the welfare of her parents in China. Weiss said he personally read one of the death threats that was in English and saw many in Chinese (his Chinese colleague explained them to him).
Weiss, who was also at the demonstration, said, "She never said or did anything. She was not involved on either side."
"They were mad at her because she was not screaming 'Liars' ... or telling that the Tibetans were happy under China's rule," Weiss said. He said the student was not anti-China and was trying to be a mediator for calm exchanges between the pro-Tibet and pro-China factions, yet was branded as a traitor by some.
DCSSA president Zhizhong Li told the media that the threatening messages did not come from DCSSA and that the organization definitely did not support the threats.
Weiss strongly disagreed, calling it a "character assassination."
"Those responsible should be purged, be dismissed, expelled from school for directly assisting and inciting violence," said Weiss. "They knew what they were doing."
"It's scary that they got the information [of the Chinese student]. The need certain connections to get this information," he added.
Several organizations at the university, including the Duke Human Rights Coalition, Duke Democrats, College Republicans, and Duke Students for an Ethical Duke have called for an investigation and the banning of DCSSA.
Things appear to be calming down after an intense weekend of debate online by both sides, and heavy traffic to the Youtube video of the event. The issue is still a hot topic of debate on campus and in the school's paper. Weiss said the student's personal situation is better, though she was still being harassed over the weekend.
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