Chinese furious about Sharon's stony 'karma' comment, Dior says sorry

Los Angeles: Christian Dior has apologised to its Chinese customers after the actress Sharon Stone, who models fror the group, said last week that the earthquake in China was the result of 'karma' from Chinese policies in Tibet.

Dior said in a statement issued by the head office of its Chinese operations that company officials "absolutely disagree'" with Stone's comments and are "deeply sorry'" about them, the FT reported.

Dior officials at the company's Paris headquarters declined to comment, the newspaper said. Dior has 68 outlets in China.

The 50-year-old actress had suggested last week that the devastating May 12 earthquake in China could have been the result of bad karma over the government's treatment of Tibet.

That prompted the founder of one of China's biggest cinema chains to say his company would not show her films in his theaters, according to a story in The Hollywood Reporter.

"I'm not happy about the way the Chinese are treating the Tibetans because I don't think anyone should be unkind to anyone else," Stone had said during a Cannes Film Festival red-carpet interview with Hong Kong's Cable Entertainment News.

"And then this earthquake and all this stuff happened, and then I thought, is that karma? When you're not nice that the bad things happen to you?"

Ng See-Yuen, founder of the UME Cineplex chain and the chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong Filmmakers, called Stone's comments "inappropriate," adding that actors should not bring personal politics to comments about a natural disaster that has left five million Chinese homeless, according to the Reporter.

Stone's words created a swell of anger on the Internet, including at least one Chinese Web site devoted solely to disparaging her comments.

Do you think Sharon's comments were insensitive? Would you boycott her movies? Tell us by filling in the form below.

I don't know if this was a Karma or not but what I'm concerned about is the mass mobilization recnetly in the West in regards to Tibet. I'm sure the Dalai Lama has done a big effort all over the years to reach this level of international support. I don't know when the Arabs will learn from this lesson and try do the same in regards to Gaza and West Bank. It is a shame that one person could do what whole nation couldn't do it, taking into consideration that time span of the two crisises are more or less the same.
Walid
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: May 29, 2008, 14:21

I think it was totally unappropriate for Sahron to link a political issue she has sympathies with, to a natural disaster that caused thousands of people dead and millions injured and/or displaced. She should apologize to the Chinese people and the world community. I wonder how would she react if someone had said the same about America when Katrina and Rita hit.
Shuja
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 29, 2008, 14:17

I agree with Sharon, it is KARMA, as much as it is on USA with all the natural calamaties that go on over there every year... Tornados, Hurricanes, Cyclones, earthquake... wild fires.
Khaled
Dubai,UAE
Posted: May 29, 2008, 13:34