Chinese netizens slam online host for joking about historical event

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Chen Yifa, commonly known as Chen Yifaer, is a singer and famous online host on China’s leading live streaming portal Douyu.

She recently provoked a huge outrage for a video of her making fun of the nation’s historic catastrophes including the Nanjing Massacre, where over 300,000 Chinese were slaughtered by Japanese invaders in December 1937.

2016: Chen Yifa takes the Nanjing Massacre as a laughingstock while performing in a live-streaming video for China's app, Douyu. /Screenshot from the video

The video was published two years ago. It was widely circulating on China's Twitter-like platform, Weibo, as it received numerous reports from Chinese netizens. The Jiangsu Cyber Police department posted a statement on Tuesday, using this incident as an example to remind both the celebrities and the platform to behave appropriately.

Chen Yifa posted a written apology on Weibo. /Screenshot from the Weibo

“This is absolutely wrong, and I should not have joked about the historical events,” Chen made an apology the same day the reports occurred, stating she will never make such a mistake again. Chen mentioned it was during a singing contest when she blurted out the words without thinking.

To redeem her behavior, Chen promised to be more involved in public activities, but Weibo users do not seem to buy it. Netizens replied to her apology, “That’s it?! ” gaining more than 80,000 thumbs-down following her statement.

Douyu published a statement on Weibo sending an apology for the incident. /Screenshot from the Weibo

Douyu, one of the country’s leading platforms, also extended an apology amid the backlash, saying it will reinforce the self-examination and launch an overhaul rectification on its contents.

On Tuesday night, the company issued another announcement, deciding to ban Chen’s broadcasting room and organize all the platform’s hosts to visit the museums of Revolutionary History, in hopes to educate them on the historical event.

Chen Yifa, one of the rising stars on Douyu platform, attends an event organized by the company in central China's Wuhan City, April 28, 2018. /VCG Photo

China bears “zero tolerance” attitude to activities that defame heroes and martyrs. Making fun of a national disaster or people’s pain challenges the bottom line of human nature and justice.

The country’s Heroes and Martyrs Protection Law taking effect since May 1 this year, came after a series of incidents in which young Chinese people have been accused of disrespecting victims of the Nanjing Massacre during their visits to memorials and other places of historical interest dressing as invading Japanese soldiers.

‍On May 17, China’s popular Rage Comic was taken down from the country’s social media and video streaming platforms after an episode was criticized for violating the Heroes and Martyrs Protection Law.

Earlier this year, a straight-A student at China’s Xiamen University received academic probation after posting an offensive statement in which she called the Chinese people “Shina,” causing outrage on social media because of its link with the Japanese invasions of China.