Coronavirus: China-Thailand social media war escalates

[webfact]

Insta-star wars: China tensions in Southeast Asia flare online

By Patpicha Tanakasempipat and Fanny Potkin

 

 

 

A mobile phone displays an internet meme in online fight between Chinese nationalists and Thai netizens and their supporters in Honk Kong and Taiwan, in this illustration taken on April, 14, 2020. REUTERS/Matthew Tostevin/Illustration

 

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Social media anger from Chinese nationalists over a Thai internet model's comments on the coronavirus has set off a storm, uniting pro-democracy campaigners against pro-Beijing cyber-warriors, with insults and mocking memes flying.

 

The quarrel, which has seen Southeast Asian internet users join forces with those in Taiwan and Hong Kong, has highlighted old tensions between China and its smaller neighbours fanned by the emergence of the new coronavirus.

 

Political analysts and activists said the online row, which started at the weekend, was unique in volume and regional spread at a time when ever more of life has been forced online.

 

"This is the first transnational geopolitical Twitter war Thais have engaged in," said Prajak Kongkirati of Bangkok's Thammasat University.

 

"We see people questioning China's actions and influence ... The celebrity issue is the tip of the iceberg."

 

Related Twitter hashtags generated more than two million tweets and trended globally. A fan page for the main hashtag, #Nnevvy, has more than 63,000 Facebook followers.

 

"Nnevvy" is the social media moniker of internet model Weeraya Sukaram and the dispute began after she was accused of sharing a Thai Twitter message questioning whether the coronavirus originated in a Chinese laboratory.

 

Furious Chinese netizens then said she had once appeared to suggest, in a post on Instagram, that Taiwan was not part of China. Beijing says the self-ruled island is an indivisible part of its territory.

 

Weeraya did not respond to requests for comment and neither of the messages was visible on her accounts.

 

Further fuelling the fire, Chinese accounts then accused Weeraya's boyfriend, Vachirawit Chivaaree, of having once liked a post that identified Hong Kong as a country - again a no-no for Beijing.

 

Despite his apology, they called for a boycott of his hit TV show.

 

Related hashtags on Chinese microblogging platform Weibo resulted in more than 4.64 billion views and 1.44 million posts.

 

In the face of the pro-China barrage, support rallied for the Thai celebrities from anti-Beijing activists and politicians - including Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigner Joshua Wong and a Taiwan mayor.

 

'PAN-ASIAN SOLIDARITY'

Wong posted a photo watching Vachirawit's show and urged Hong Kong to "stand with our freedom-loving Thai friends".

 

"Perhaps we can build a new kind of pan-Asian solidarity that opposes all forms of authoritarianism!" he wrote.

 

Thai pro-democracy student activist Netiwit Chotiphatphaisal said he and Wong had been in touch and that Thais were uneasy over growing Chinese influence since a 2014 coup in Thailand, whose leader, Prayuth Chan-ocha, won a disputed election last year.

 

"The hashtag provided an opportunity to speak up," Netiwit told Reuters.

 

Meanwhile, some users in the Philippines took on the hashtag to attack Chinese action in the disputed South China Sea.

 

China's foreign ministry pointed the finger at a plot to stir up trouble and said China and Thailand were working closely together, including on the coronavirus outbreak.

 

"Certain people use the opportunity to incite dispute on the internet, creating oppositions between public opinions, playing off China-Thailand relations, their plot shall not succeed," the ministry said in a response to questions from Reuters.

 

Twitter is blocked in China and only accessible for those using virtual private networks or with official approval.

 

Social media consultancy Drone Emprit found that automated bot accounts were using the #Nnevvy hashtag but it did not say where they came from. Reuters found that several pro-China accounts had been created in the last few days and only contained comments on the dispute.

 

"While #Nnevvy started off as an intense overnight Twitter war between Thailand and China, it's now turned into meaningful diplomatic engagement with Hong Kong and Taiwan," said Tracy Beattie of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.

 

Insults from Chinese nationalists against Thailand's government and king were laughed off by Thai campaigners who themselves attack the administration as undemocratic. The king has faced unprecedented online criticism recently despite a penalty of up to 15 years in jail for anyone insulting him.

 

Thailand's government was aware of the social media battle between Thai and Chinese accounts and it urged Thai internet users to express themselves within reason, said deputy government spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek.

 

Thai posters, using one well-known internet meme, labelled a menacing character as Chinese people trying to hurt Thai people's feelings by insulting their country. A nonchalant character was described as Thai people who have been insulting their country for years.

 

Meanwhile, Thai users mocked China for authoritarian rule and likened President Xi Jinping to Winnie the Pooh - a comparison that is banned in China.

 

"Thailand is poor, but China is Pooh," read one viral tweet.

 

On a lighter note, another meme celebrated Thailand, Hong Kong and Taiwan as a "Milk Tea Alliance" because of a shared fondness for the iced drink.

 

(Additional reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Matthew Tostevin and Robert Birsel)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-04-15

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[lkv]

19 minutes ago, webfact said:

Weeraya did not respond to requests for comment and neither of the messages was visible on her accounts.

- Knock knock. Weeraya?

 

- Who is it?

 

- Royal Thai police, we want to have a chat.

[unamazedloso]

???????????????????????????????? All i got to say....

[PatOngo]

 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

"Thailand is poor, but China is Pooh,"

Where's that prawn buffet?

[aussienam]

China are the bullies in the playground trying to hurt others feelings to cover up their own faults and insecurities. 

[Mama Noodle]

A bit rich coming from the Chinese considering all of googles suite is banned including Twitter as well. 

 

I for one am happy that the Chinese are catching <deleted>. Im sure the Thai government is NOT happy about it though. Seems they are aligning themselves as a major ally of China, which is extremely unfortunate but unsurprising. 

 

China needs sanctions like Iran and North Korea. 

[kevin612]

Just internet quarrel, no big deal at all. Stay safe, everyone.

[rabas]

16 minutes ago, Mama Noodle said:

A bit rich coming from the Chinese considering all of googles suite is banned including Twitter as well. 

 

I for one am happy that the Chinese are catching <deleted>. Im sure the Thai government is NOT happy about it though. Seems they are aligning themselves as a major ally of China, which is extremely unfortunate but unsurprising. 

 

China needs sanctions like Iran and North Korea. 

China needs a new government, and most Chinese citizens would agree.

 

The warfare looks more like CCP operatives

[Vigilante]

To whoever made this meme..

Don't quit your dayjob!

 

 

Edited April 15, 2020 by Vigilante

[TeaMonkey]

The Bangkok Chinese embassy Facebook statement is hardly helping. ????
 

https://t.co/68mH4ZHtGv?amp=1

[Borzandy]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

"Perhaps we can build a new kind of pan-Asian solidarity that opposes all forms of authoritarianism!"

Ha Ha Ha funny utopian...

[Fex Bluse]

OK. As many things as Thailand gets wrong, these netizens have this right. Good job. China needs to be isolated. Stop trading with them. Stop allowing their students in. Make it incredibly difficult for them to arrive as tourists. Let them proudly stay in China indefinitely. 

[nobodysfriend]

China has SE Asia's biggest spending power .

But it's government is autocratic . People are not really free to express themselves , if one does , needs to live in fear to be arrested . And never to be seen again ...

The capitalistic system that the chinese government likes to imitate is reaching it's limits elsewhere already .

I think that the average chinese person is just following the way the government shows to them ... they all want to be rich .

China causes a lot of destruction and pollution , the ' traditional chinese medicine ' , ( tiger bones and Rhino horns , bear bile ...) , is complete BS and should simply not exist anymore in times where much better and effective medications are easily available ...

China seems to have a complete disregard to other people or countries , or the environment , for chinese , it is the chinese who come first .

Many chinese are very proud of their country , but really they have not made a lot of important inventions ( gunpowder and porcelaine , ok )

What they are really good at is the exploitation of their own people and others .

 

But may be , the younger generation will change that ...?

 

Most of that chinese stuff that I bought from sites like Lazada , finished in the rubbish a short time after I bought it .

No Quality .

Edited April 15, 2020 by nobodysfriend

[Dazinoz]

1 hour ago, Thailand said:

And pleeeease get rid of that damned video ad blocking the middle of the page.

Great, someone else thinks the same. Plus, I think due to the ads, my browser page "jumps" up and down up to 6 times every time I open a new page.

[727Sky]

The PLA has a whole bunch of propagandist monitoring social media. Any disparaging word about China is met with a gang of operatives rebutting the accusers with the Communist Chinese cadre of "Hey we are right you are wrong" narrative. 

 

China has not been forth coming about the virus or anything else that might cast a shadow of doubt upon their party line.

 

Countries (some) are finally wising up and requesting and directing companies to get out of the Chinese manufacturing scam simply for national security. Having all your medicines manufactured in China (as an example) and destroying your home based manufacturing never was and never will be a good idea. Self sufficiency for people and countries is the way to go except for the NWO open border crowd; which IMO COVID-19 is slowly pushing a dagger into their plans.

 

[bluesofa]

52 minutes ago, nobodysfriend said:

{snipped}

Most of that chinese stuff that I bought from sites like Lazada , finished in the rubbish a short time after I bought it .

No Quality .

Agreed on that one.

Trying to buy non-Chinese made products in Thailand is extremely difficult. All manufactured on price, not on quality.

[RotMahKid]

1 hour ago, Thailand said:

And pleeeease get rid of that damned video ad blocking the middle of the page.

Take Opera browser and it's gone

[RotMahKid]

15 minutes ago, Dazinoz said:

Great, someone else thinks the same. Plus, I think due to the ads, my browser page "jumps" up and down up to 6 times every time I open a new page.

I had the same and changed browser to Opera, problem solved

 

[sukhumvitneon]

China deserves all the hate it's getting and then some.  

[dinsdale]

One can extrapolate from this opinions toward the CCP pandering junta govt of Prayut. One can also wonder about the future of the CCP's One Belt One Road campaign to cement it's doctrine globally and hold countries hostage to debt.

Edited April 15, 2020 by dinsdale

[SAINT THOMAS]

According to official statistics for the year 2016 among the Hong Kong people who belong to an organised religion there are: over 1 million Buddhists, over 1 million Taoists, 480,000 Protestants, 379,000 Catholics, 300,000 Muslims, 100,000 Hindus, 12,000 Sikhs, and other smaller communities.

 

Buddhism is the most prevalent institutionalized religion in Taiwan, and is practiced by almost 4.9 million individuals.

Taoism is the second most popular religion in Taiwan, followed by 4.5 million people of Taiwan. 

Roughly 304,000 individuals are believers of Catholicism.

In 1997, there were at least 65 Protestant sects, 2,700 Protestant churches, and 2,550 ministers in Taiwan.

There are currently three new mosques, which have been constructed in Kaohsiung, Taichung, and Lungkang, together with two other mosques in Taipei.

 

Buddhism is the dominant religion in Thailand consisting of 95% of the total population.

Islam is the second most dominant religion in Thailand with a population of about 4%, that is around 6 million people and the largest religious minority practiced in Thailand.

The Catholic Christians represent around 1% of the total population in Thailand.

 

The government of China officially espouses state atheism.

China’s Communist party is intensifying religious persecution as Christianity’s popularity grows. A new state translation of the Bible will establish a ‘correct understanding’ of the text

 

The Chinese Communist party (CCP) wants to be the God of China and the Chinese people.

 

But according to the Bible only God is God. 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/13/china-christians-religious-persecution-translation-bible

[monkfish]

The Chinese Embassy Bangkok also getting well involved and not very diplomatic either

if you scroll down there's posts in English.

https://www.facebook.com/ChineseEmbassyinBangkok/

[Traubert]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

"Thailand is poor, but China is Pooh,"

 

1 hour ago, nobodysfriend said:

China causes a lot of destruction and pollution , the ' traditional chinese medicine ' , ( tiger bones and Rhino horns , bear bile ...) , is complete BS and should simply not exist anymore in times where much better and effective medications are easily available ...

China seems to have a complete disregard to other people or countries , or the environment , for chinese , it is the chinese who come first .

 

 

Most of that chinese stuff that I bought from sites like Lazada , finished in the rubbish a short time after I bought it .

No Quality .

My wife is a teaching pharmacist with both qualifications in Western and Chinese medicine.

 

In 25 years she never made up a prescription, or signed one off, with anything other than dusty herbs in it. 

 

As regards Lazada, you buy cheap and you get cheap..

 

Joshua Wong is due a clip round the ear. He's already been given the bum's rush from Thailand.

 

 

 

[smedly]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Twitter message questioning whether the coronavirus originated in a Chinese laboratory.

my own opinion is that it did after seeing a documentry on the topic, I had suspected before but now I firmly believe it

[smedly]

3 hours ago, aussienam said:

China are the bullies in the playground trying to hurt others feelings to cover up their own faults and insecurities. 

I think anger across the world is brewing very quickly - they have cost us all dearly and should pay for that

 

we handed them our technology - schooled and trained them and now they are using it against us, IMO there should be a full blown effort across the free world to blank them, Putin and the wee fat man will of course rally to support them - dangerous times ahead I think, Thailand will go were they can benefit the most financially and are becoming more like them by the day

[smedly]

does anyone know why the Thai media do not question the Thai government 

 

the answer reveals just exactly what Thailand is and it is far from democratic

[sukhumvitneon]

18 minutes ago, Traubert said:

 

My wife is a teaching pharmacist with both qualifications in Western and Chinese medicine.

 

In 25 years she never made up a prescription, or signed one off, with anything other than dusty herbs in it. 

 

As regards Lazada, you buy cheap and you get cheap..

 

Joshua Wong is due a clip round the ear. He's already been given the bum's rush from Thailand.

 

 

 

Guess they're paying you your wumao bonuses early. 

[hotchilli]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Insta-star wars: China tensions in Southeast Asia flare online

Things are warming up, and it's not just the climate.

[fusion58]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

"Perhaps we can build a new kind of global solidarity that opposes all forms of authoritarianism!"

FYP. ????

[Winky Wilson]

Chinese are arrogent fools. They universaly speak in Mandarin how Thais and Americans are nieve and dumb and fall for their foolish scams while they travel here. They speak how they are buying Thailand without them even knowing it. One time in Chiang Mai I was pulled over at a checkpoint along with a Chinese kid and his girlfriend, listening to there insults to the police right in front of them. RTP had no clue what they were saying. They said something to the tune they were a bunch of poor ladyboys looking for some of their dirty lunch money to buy a new dress and makeup. They were giggling like juveniles.  They assume no one speaks Mandarin here.