Sydnie Kohara:
Two events have Chinese social media in a frenzy this week, and raise all sorts of questions about how people react to someone in distress. Joining me in studio is Maureen Fan who reported from China for the Washington Post until 2009. Maureen, thanks so much for joining us here on Link TV.

Maureen Fan:
Happy to be here.

Sydnie Kohara:
It is sad to be on here under the circumstances to talk about two really disturbing incidences, and the first one involved a young woman.

Maureen Fan:
A young Chinese girl tried to drown herself in a city park. She was assisted by a foreign woman, possibly an American, who jumped in and rescued her. The story went viral, partly because bystanders, mostly Chinese, did nothing to help. I have a sampling of posts here. The first one was addressed to the rescuer: "I'm so moved, not only by your courage, but by the fact that you immediately left after doing the good deed." Another said: "A beautiful American! and those ugly-to-the-bone bystanders."

Sydnie Kohara:
Maureen, it sounds as if there is so much shame in some of these responses. People are just outraged over the lack of response there, and we've got another incident that has a much less happy ending, and I warn you, this video is quite graphic. This one involves a toddler.

Maureen Fan:
A two-year-old in the southern Chinese city of Fushan was hit by a van. The driver stopped, but then drove off, and he ran over the girl's legs again.

Sydnie Kohara:
I cannot believe this watching this video. It's just amazing.

Maureen Fan:
It was really awful. As the security camera shows, at least a dozen passersby did nothing to help the little girl. They hardly seemed to even notice her. And another truck ran over her. And it also didn't stop. Finally, an older woman stopped and called the police. The reaction online was immense. One and a half million hits to a YouTube-like site in China called Youku. And there are so many responses. Here's a sample. One said: "This is the fault of the hit-and-run drivers, of the society as a whole, of the social system in China. It is the system that forces people to hide their conscience." Here's another one: "Twenty people, none willing to help? It's a collective cold heart, it demands collective deep reflection." Finally: "Those who are wiling to help must be prepared to get sued."

Sydnie Kohara:
Wow, that one is really disturbing. What does he mean by that? I know that, the friend of one of the drivers arrested was quoted as saying the man didn't stop because he didn't want to pay money, what does that mean?

Maureen Fan:
It is quite common to pay compensation in China, especially for traffic accidents, even when no one is at fault. So the driver must be thinking to himself, "If she passes away, then I will have to pay a certain amount; but if she survives, I will have to pay years of medical treatment."

Sydnie Kohara:
What about the post warning that Good Samaritans can get sued?

Maureen Fan:
Well, that's true. Most people will cite a really infamous case from about five years ago, in the city of Nanjing, involving a guy named Peng Yu. And he stopped to help an elderly woman who had fallen, and then she turned around and blamed him for causing the fall.

Sydnie Kohara:
What?

Maureen Fan:
You know, there is no evidence that he was at fault, but the court's logic was, if he hadn't caused the damage, he wouldn't have tried to help her. So lots of people have criticized this case. But you know, the point, the damage has been done, and everyone knows it. And this is only one case, the most high profile. There are many others just like it.

Sydnie Kohara:
So what do you think, is it just the fear of lawsuits that keeps people from helping?

Maureen Fan:
Well, yes and no. I think a lot of the people who have said that they can sympathize with the reluctance to get involved, they blame everything from the cultural revolution, to the education system, to the legal system, even the Ministry of Health, which issues the guidelines on how to help elderly people who have fallen, they said don't rush in! And different situations called for different tactics. But I would also say that, right now, Chinese people are really hurting over this, they are hand wringing, they are concerned about their society. Many people do offer to help, but that doesn't really make the news.

Sydnie Kohara:
And I think in this particular case, or at least recently, social media has given them a different outlet to express their emotions.

Maureen Fan:
Absolutely. People I think are much more bolder than in the past, and they will say what bothers them, they will call people out.

Sydnie Kohara:
Maureen, thanks so much. Maureen Fan has reported from China for the Washington Post.