You may have seen on social media the poignant picture or video of Omran Daqneesh, the five-year-old who was rescued from underneath rubble after his family house collapsed following an airstrike. It has been shared thousands of times on various social media platforms, and has called attention to the humanitarian crisis unfolding in midst of the twisted, violent conflict in Syria.
CCTV, however, does not share sympathy for the boy. According to a recent report of theirs, the photo is fake, and merely Western propaganda.
CCTV’s report, titled "Staged? Exaggerated? Video of Injured Syrian Boy Seems Fake," calls the video “propaganda to create a humanitarian excuse for Western countries to stay involved in Syria.” The report cites “some websites” who “disclosed” that the rescue workers were setting up cameras instead of quickly helping the child. It goes on to accuse the non-governmental organization to which the aid workers belong, The White Helmets, of having a history of filming many of these fake videos.
CCTV also alleges that the White Helmets, who are sometimes referred to as the Syrian Civil Defense, has “questionable independence.” Their allegation is that, though it may seem like a Syrian NGO, it is actually led by a British organization called Crisis Rescue, and the founder and leading figure of Crisis Rescue is a UK military official.
Chinese state media didn’t stop there. The Global Times joined in the diatribe with an editorial, which states that Omran is “eligible for an Oscar.” The editorial also raises a few other questions with regards to the photo, such as why no immediate actions were taken to bandage his wounds and stop the bleeding. (Videos and photos emerged later and showed Omran’s wounds were safely treated.)
At this point, it is worth noting that China has itself been involved in Syria for a long time. Not only is there great historical evidence of China providing arms to Syria, but it also has been palpably siding with Russia in supporting Assad and blocking UN resolutions with regards to Syria.
As for their criticism against the neutrality of The White Helmets, it is true that the US has provided a significant sum of money to fund the organization. However, it is also true that they have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, twice, and they were reported to have rescued "some of the officers of the regime of President Bashar al-Assad who are bombing them."
[Images via CCTV, Google, and The White Helmets]
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