Angry Chinese internet users have launched an online campaign against an official in the earthquake zone who is accused of grinning too much in the midst of the disaster.
Censors have moved slowly to silence the unusually critical debate on blogs and community bulletin boards about Tan Li, the Communist Party chief of Mianyang, and what many see as his inappropriate smile. Websites show four pictures of Li, apparently beaming, as he escorts President Hu Jintao around his town and conducts other duties. As well as being disrespectful, critics say the local party boss was negligent in his slow response to the disaster.
Search engines suggest the three main posts about this topic on Tianya, one of the most popular internet community sites in China, have been read by more than 10,000 viewers. Many entries have been deleted by the censors, but others can still be read despite their incendiary content.
'Tan Li did not report the situation in Beichuan county to the central government in time, so they did not know it was so badly hit. This delayed the rescue operation in Beichuan,' said one post.
Another accused Tan of stealing relief funds: 'Let me tell you why he smiled. He is always corrupt and he knows [this disaster] will provide another opportunity.'
Refugees in Mianyang are texting each other with a short message that changes a popular song to attack Tan. 'Can't forget your corruption, can't forget your smile. After 512 [12 May], when people are still suffering, you act like you've already seen the donation money and can't help laughing,' the opening lines read.
No evidence is provided for the accusations, the facial expressions might have been taken out of context and the critics all write under pseudonyms, but the debate highlights the unusual openness of the media and the rawness of public emotions in the wake of the disaster.
The outpouring of sympathy for the victims and national pride in the relief work have been mixed with anger at the shoddy construction of schools and any sign of disrespectful behaviour by public figures. In the past this debate would have been quickly stifled by censors, but domestic reporters have pushed at the boundaries of what is permissible and the authorities have eased back on controls.
The debate about Tan remains small by the standards of China, which has the world's biggest online population. The media's main focus is on the evacuation of almost 200,000 people downstream of a mountain lake formed by the earthquake that threatens to burst its banks.
Authorities said yesterday that engineers and soldiers have completed a channel to drain the Tangjiashan 'quake lake'. If the project fails, they have a contingency plan to move 1.3 million people to higher ground.
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