Ins and Outs of a Young American's Roguery on Bus in China

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, March 15, 2002

Ins and Outs of a Young American's Roguery on Bus in China

One day after the "March 8" International Women's Day, a young American teacher named Mark lifted up a Chinese woman's shirt and peeped inside on bus 370, made the woman's breasts exposed in public for seconds and then beat a passenger who tried to stop his indecent behavior.

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Five hours after, this young American excused himself of his roguery merely as "a touch" of the woman's shirt and claimed it a misunderstanding. But this American's dishonesty and all his professions of excuse were turned down and the Chinese woman decided to put him to court and demand a compensation of 1 yuan.

The event has aroused wide concern in China. Who is Mark? Why he came to China? Will he return to his country after the event?

What Mark has been up to on bus?

The Chinese woman involved, surnamed Guo, told reporter what happened. "I'm from Henan, 30, and works for a company in Huizhou. This time I came to Shenzhen to visit my parents. On March 9 I took my three-year-old daughter, together with my family, to "window of the world" (a tourist site of Shenzhen). We got on 370 from Longhua. When the bus arrived at Meilin check station I got down to show my ticket. When I returned I found my daughter's seat had been taken by a foreigner, who had a bottle of beer in hand".

"He looked at me in salacious eyes. I was standing beside my mother, then I felt my shirt was pulled and caught the foreigner's hand on the second bottom of my shirt, pulling it out. Then he peeped inside through my shirt, his indecency attracting the eyes of all passengers. I was stunned by his sudden low-down acts. He drew back his hand reluctantly only until I recovered from the surprise and stared at him angrily. 'How can you be such a brazen-faced impudent man on the Chinese land?!' I spoke to him. But he didn't look sorry at all, instead, he repeated "fuck you" "I'm American. It's nothing. Even if I killed you, and what?'"

How has Mark excused himself of his roguery?

There were some 60 passengers on the bus, all of them flew up. A young woman who speaks English helped to condemn the young American's behavior by acting as volunteer interpreter. But he showed no sign of repentance, saying "You call the police, I'm not feared. I have lawyer friends. What can you do?" When the bus arrived at Jingxin Park, this American culprit wanted to get down but was stopped by a passenger Huang Yonggou at the door. He hit Huang back by giving a blow at the chest and got down arrogantly. He was soon surrounded by indignant people until the police came.

This young American was taken to Jingtian Police Station around 12:00. He denied his behavior and refused to apology to Mrs Guo, saying he had only "touched Guo's shirt". At three o'clock he asked to see his lawyer.

"I am sorry!" Mark finally made his apology around 4:35, accompanied by his lawyer. But he beamed from ear to ear, almost danced for joy, even made a gesture of "V" in front of reporter's camera lens. Besides, he repeatedly murmured "it's only a misunderstanding, and I will never venture to touch a Chinese woman's shirt."

When Mrs Guo refused to accept his apology, Mark added "My Chinese lawyer said as long as I said so I would be protected. I'm sorry, please forgive me. I will never touch a Chinese woman's shirt. I'm terribly sorry, please let me go!"

What price is he going to pay for his roguery on bus?

"I think his apology contained no sincerity at all", says Mrs Guo, "The shameless Mark must receive punishment he deserves". On Monday morning Guo told reporter she was preparing to put the American rogue to court, demanding 1 yuan in damages.

"I ask only 1 yuan for compensation, I want to show to all people I'm not seeking for money, but my dignity and legal rights."

Why he was expelled from school?

It is known to the reporter that there is cooperation agreement between Shenzhen Education Bureau and the University of Tennessee of the US, under which the university sends foreign teachers to Shenzhen schools every year, and Mark was one of them.

"One of our foreign teachers was leaving, so we asked the Education Bureau to send Mark to our school", a teacher surnamed Guo of Shenzhen Radio and TV University said in a telephone interview. Mark came to the university on September or October of 2000 to teacher oral English. "He was not excellent in teaching, behaved himself in the first month. Then he began to drink, made troubles in dormitory, with all his neighbors and students complaining about him".

After discussing Mark's behavior with the US side, the Bureau decided to send Mark home and reserved air ticket for him. But Mark slipped out of the university one night with his luggage.

After that, Mark once taught English at a training center for electric professionals, but got fired two months later when he was found processing no teaching experience at all.

Is it merely a moral question?

After strongly criticized media reports smell politics and national sentiment, Mark's lawyer Chen Haitao expressed his opinion by saying it was only a moral question, a question of public order at most, and newspaper reports "more or less exaggerated".

Chen said he agreed to act on behalf of Mark after the incident happened. He told that Mark came to Shenzhen on February 28 this year and, as a postgraduate psychology student of University of Tennessee, cherished "nice dream" when came to the young city of Shenzhen for study on a certain subject.

"He is from the root not a rogue but a student. If he possesses any faults it's that he likes to drink, and behaved not so properly after that. And I didn't hear any other faults of him".

This is in no way a mere question of morality, says Wang Linan, a lawyer in Shenzhen. Mark's behavior had infringed upon Ms Guo's right of the person and right of personality according to the Article 101, Article 120 of the "General Principles of the Civil Law of PRC", (Article 101: Citizens and legal persons shall enjoy the right of reputation. The personality of citizens shall be protected by law, and the use of insults, libel or other means to damage the reputation of citizens or legal persons shall be prohibited. Article 120: If a citizen's right of personal name, portrait, reputation or honor is infringed upon, he shall have the right to demand that the infringement be stopped, reputation rehabilitated and apology made, with all ill effects eliminated. He may also demand compensation for losses), therefore should shoulder legal liabilities, including making apology, rehabilitating reputation and compensating for losses incurred.

Latest development: Ms Guo may drop action against Mark

Ms Guo once said bravely to put Mark to court, but refused to give comment on this issue after returning home. She only said she believed public conscience and she didn't expect the huge pressure she met, roused by great concern over the issue from the whole society. She hoped to have a period of time to consider the case. While Guo's lawyer Zhang Zhiran said Guo may still decide to go to court after a period of mood adjustment.

Meanwhile the Jingtian police station of Shenzhen has begun investigation into the case. Whoever, Chinese or foreigner, broke the law shall be punished, a police officer affirmed.

By PD Online staff member Li Heng

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