Many Chinese acquaintances who spend time online are buzzing about Sharon Stone's comment that the devastating Sichuan earthquake might have been "karma", implying it was cosmic retribution for authorities' response to Tibetan rioting in March. The Chinese reaction to Stone's brief interview evoked the mood of a few weeks earlier, before the quake, when emotional nationalistic youth called for a boycott of Carrefour and a campaign to denounce CNN because a commentator had likened Chinese authorities to goons and thugs.

 In the wake of the quake, much of the strident nationalistic rhetoric had died down. But some of us foreign correspondents did receive the following message by e-mail this week:

(here's how the e-mail began) 

Sharon Stone says in the interview that the earthquake in sichuan is a kama!!!
  We cannot accept Sharon Stone's words.
Let's Boycott Sharon Stone!Boycott Dior!Boycott French products!
  Atteched is a list of French products.
Never Buy any of them!!!

                                    Boycutt Sharon Stone association
                                    boycott.sharonstone@gmail.com
                                    http://sharon-stone.cn

 (end)

The campaign criticizing CNN was initially spearheaded by a website too.