Misinformation about how the evacuation of Chinese and Taiwanese citizens was handled contributed to the suicide of a Taiwanese diplomat.
The News Lens
Date: 2018/09/28
By: By Oiwan Lam, Global Voices
Credit: Reuters / TPG
Taiwanese diplomat Su Chii-cherng (蘇啟誠) died by suicide on Sept. 14, 2018, while stationed in Osaka, Japan.
According to NHK (Japan’s national broadcasting station), the 61-year-old diplomat left behind a letter saying he was deeply pained by public criticism accusing his office of not doing enough to rescue Taiwanese tourists stranded at the Kansai International Airport in Japan when Typhoon Jebi struck the region in early September 2018.
When mainland Chinese media outlets circulated several stories praising the Chinese consulate in Japan for successfully evacuating its citizens, Taiwanese netizens slammed their own consulate for failing to assist Taiwanese tourists with equal measure. [FULL STORY]