Death of teen spurs action

Chinese government launches campaign to wipe out rampant bullying online

LIU Xuezhou was just an ordinary teenager but after he died, his tragic story spread and attracted national attention in the past week.

The Chinese public is now debating as to “who killed him”.

Liu, 17, decided to end his life on Jan 24, less than a month after he found his biological parents.

His misery began at birth when his unmarried parents sold him to a couple from a secluded village in Hebei province for 6,000 yuan (RM3,950).

The money was then used as dowry for the pair to tie the knot.

At the age of four, Liu’s adoptive parents died in an accident.

Since then he has been living and shuttling between the homes of his adoptive grandparents and relatives. He went to five schools during his six-year primary education before enrolling into a boarding secondary school.

The story of Liu came to light in early December last year after he appealed on social media for help to locate his biological parents.

Police found them in Shanxi province but revealed that the parents did not wish to be disturbed as they had divorced and remarried.

Liu finally met up with his parents but the happy reunion did not last long.

He also found out that he has a younger biological brother.

Apart from Liu and his brother, his father has two more children from other relationships while his mother has a son with her current husband.

On Jan 17, Liu revealed that he had been blocked by his mother on the Wechat messaging application.

“If two adults (referring to his parents) could not take the criticisms from the public, imagine what I have been through, being called feral kid and humiliated.

“You all said I’m going to mess up your current families, it is the two of you who ruined my life,” he wrote on Sina Weibo, the Chinese Twitter-like social media platform.

In an interview with the local media, the mother said she blacklisted the son after he pressured her to buy him a house, adding that both families have been affected by the “re-surfacing” of the teen.

His father, who was also annoyed with his demand, claimed that Liu had turned down his offer to live with him.

In a response, Liu rubbished all claims by the parents.

“When did you offer me to live with you? You dared not even bring me home and let your wife know of my existence,” he said.

He explained that he had only asked for a place of his own, it could be a rented one.

“I have been moving from one house to another, I do not have a home of my own,” he added.

Out of anger, he revealed that he would take them to court for child trafficking and abandonment but dropped the idea later.

He also revealed that he was constantly harassed by netizens, who accused him of being “money-minded” while questioning his intentions in searching for his birth parents.

As the gossips continued, shocking news came to light last Monday that Liu had committed suicide at a beach on Hainan Island.

It was reported that he had taken an excessive dosage of anti-depressants.

The teen left behind a very long goodbye note, relating his misery and the exchanges he had had with his biological parents.

He claimed he was beaten up and bullied at schools, and that he was sexually harassed by a drunk male teacher at junior high school.

Liu found out that he was adopted, a few years ago, but he was only keen to look for his birth family after seeing a video of a father with tears of joy when reunited with his kidnapped son.

He had never expected his story to be messy.

“I just asked for a home, is it wrong? My mother blacklisted me and my father scolded me, saying I’m ungrateful and inconsiderate.

“I am abandoned again,” he said.

“I have had enough of suffering and I am venturing into a new journey now,” he wrote.

Liu’s death has sparked a heated discussion online, with many feeling sorry for him while blaming media hype and online violence for his death.

A day after his death, the Cyberspace Administration of China launched a month-long campaign to clean up the social media space.

They have so far, banned thousands of Internet users who had sent private messages to Liu, from using the service, and plan to shut down a number of social media accounts that are inciting violence and hatred.

Sina Weibo has cleared hundreds of posts related to Liu for leaking personal privacy and provoking conflict and said new functions to protect users’ privacy would be added to the platform.

Police are investigating Liu’s accusations against his biological parents, who may be charged for selling the baby under child trafficking laws.

Those suffering from mental health issues or are contemplating suicide can reach out to the Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935 or 014-322 3392); Talian Kasih (15999 or 019-261 5999 on WhatsApp); Jakim’s (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia) family, social and community care centre (011-1959 8214 on WhatsApp); and Befrienders Kuala Lumpur (03-7627 2929 or go to befrienders.org.my/centre-in-malaysia for a full list of numbers nationwide and operating hours, or email [e-mail]).