HONG KONG - A Chinese primary school teacher and a beautician have
filed a suit against CNN in New York over remarks they say insulted
the Chinese people and are seeking $1.3 billion in compensation =97 $1
per person in China, a Hong Kong newspaper re****ted.
The case against the Atlanta-based cable channel, its parent company
Turner Broadcasting and Jack Cafferty, the offending commentator,
comes after 14 lawyers launched a similar suit in Beijing alleging
that Cafferty's remarks earlier this month violated the dignity and
reputation of the Chinese people.
Cafferty said the United States im****ted Chinese-made "junk with the
lead paint on them and the poisoned pet food" and added: "They're
basically the same bunch of goons and thugs they've been for the last
50 yearsCNN said Cafferty was expressing an opinion about the Chinese
government, but the Foreign Ministry demanded an apology and accused
the network of trying to drive a wedge between the Chinese people and
leader****p.
'Mental harm'
The lawsuits come amid a wave of criticism in China against Western
news outlets in the wake of recent unrest in Tibet and disruptions to
the Beijing Olympic torch relay abroad.
In New York, Liang Shubing, the beautician, and Li Lilan, a Beijing-
based elementary school instructor, claimed Cafferty's words insulted
all Chinese people and "intentionally caused mental harm" to the
plaintiffs, the Ta Kung Pao newspaper re****ted on Thursday.
Six lawyers were handling the case for Liang and Li, it said.
"The $1.3 billion averages out to $1 per Chinese person, so it isn't
much," the newspaper quoted a lawyer as saying.
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