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Subscribe to RSSBEIJING – Exasperated passengers everywhere have at some point felt like lashing out over the frustrations of modern air travel. One prominent member of China’s Communist Party acted on that urge recently to the undoubted dismay of airline workers but the delight of many online viewers.
In a video that went viral over the weekend, Yan Linkun, a deputy chairman of a mining company and a member of a Communist Party political advisory body in Yunnan, is seen smashing up a gate counter at Kunming Changshui International Airport.
Shanghai Daily reported that Yan, his wife and two 10-year-old sons missed their 11 a.m. flight to the southern Guangdong city of Shenzhen on Feb. 5. The family was put on another flight at 1 p.m. the following day, only to miss that one as well after they went for breakfast and didn't hear the boarding announcement.
That’s when hostilities kicked off.
Airport surveillance video leaked to local Chinese media on Friday shows Yan’s reaction to the news that he and his family had missed the second flight.
A minute into the video, Yan pushes against the gate’s glass door. He then slaps his hand on the counter, yells and grabs a computer keyboard and hurls it at the screens.
Yan continues to throw equipment at the counter, and at one point tries to kick down the gate door. Seemingly immobilized airport security personnel and a growing crowd is seen watching the rampage.
His wife, whose name has not been reported, also gets in on the act, and smashes what appears to be a coffee cup midway through the video.
Despite the tantrum, the Shanghai Daily reported that airport police in Kunming were still investigating to determine whether Yan would face any criminal charges.
The paper also reported that Yan had apologized to the airport’s deputy manager, telling him, “My irrational actions and rudeness have caused some losses to the airport as well as bad effects to the public, so I sincerely apologize to the airport and public. I am willing to compensate."
Yan also explained he and his wife had reacted angrily because they were in a hurry to get their children back to school in time for the end of the New Year holiday, the newspaper reported.
That contrition reportedly wasn’t good enough for his bosses. Yan’s employer, Yunnan Mining Corp., suspended him.
The local Communist People's Political Consultative Conference -- one of the regional advisory boards to China’s ruling Communist Party -- was considering whether to impose some kind of punishment, Shanghai Daily reported.
NBC News tried unsuccessfully to contact Yen and Yunnan Mining Corp. to get their version of events.
On China’s Twitter-like service, Weibo, users were quick to joke about the meltdown and to ask how in the world Yan had ever risen to become a CPPCC member.
“I suggest that Yan smash an airplane next time so that he can show his real power as a CPPCC member!" one sarcastic user wrote.
Others dismissed the tantrum as the privilege of China’s new moneyed elite.
“That's just how a rich man acts,” wrote one user, “He who has wealth speaks louder than others."
New Communist Party boss, Xi Jinping, has taken a tougher stance against Party corruption and poor behavior since taking power late last year.
A series of high profile anti-graft and corruption campaigns have brought down a number of officials across China and approval from mainland Chinese eager to see systemic corruption stamped out.
NBC News’ Grace Huang contributed to this report.
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Chinese official booted after account of lurid affair emerges
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At least his company suspended him.
People have a short memory. When, in 2009, US Senator David "Daiperman" Vitter (he of the DC madam patronage) threw an airport tamper tantrum, screamed at TSA ("Do you know who I am!?"), harangued them for minutes, and then shoved his way past agents through an alarmed security bypass gate, TSA not only didn't arrest him, they later apologized to him after his office insisted that the long line and delay might cause him to miss, cough, a Senate vote.
I mean, how dare we expect that Senators stand in the same lines we all do...?
Vitter's still a senator.
He was later served to his dogs for their evening meal.
Hey, NBC, do you really think it's good journalism to use the Japanese word honch in a headline? Especially for a story that has nothing to do with Japan.
"Head Honcho" is now a pretty common usage, and the Japanese use of that word comes out of 1950s corporate culture, after WW2, so there's nothing politically incorrect in using it.
I feel sorry for their son. He looks really embarrassed.
It's pretty sad that the two of them are role models for their young children. I wonder what the parents say to their children after they throw a tantrum like that?
The family should have been ejected from the airport and banned for 6 months, forcing them to take a train home. Trains are slower moving so maybe the'd be fast enough to catch one on time.
LMAO
Glad to see that China has it's fair share of A hole's also!
This is the same way the republicans act when the wealthy are requested to pay their fair share of taxes. Boner is an imbecile, an old man, and possibly an alcoholic.
Or, in Sen. David "Daiperman" Vitter's (R-LA) case, literally an airport temper tantrum just like this one...
NewYorkCity,You could at least spell Boehner's name correctly.And F.Y.I.,he's not old.
At least it won't take long to get replacements for all the junk he smashed up since everything is made in China.
It'll still be junk.
He became a little tense, I guess.
hehe. I took a look at some Chinese sites (I was an American expat over there for many years and read and speak the language), and it looks like this loser is pretty s****d. His employer, the party, and some prestigious government board he serves have all initiated investigations and, basically, processes for dismissing him, the procuratorate (prosecutor's office) is considering filing charges, and Baidu, the leading Chinese Internet portal, has set up his very own website, for people who want to mock him. Oh well.
Now.. if only we can subject our own airport tantrum-thrower, Sen. Diaperman Vitter, to the same treatment...
What grabbed my attention was that he has two ten year old sons.China supposedly has a one child policy.I guess their dictatorship laws don't apply to the higher echelon.
Only in China could somebody become a millionaire and still be member of the Communist party. I wonder if Karl Marx is turning in his grave. "It is the year 2100 in China and people are celebrating the founding of the Communist party'" Say what is a Communist Bing?"" I am sorry I haven't a clue but hey any reason to party cannot be bad".
Communism at it's best, the ruling few get to do what they want when they want and how they want. "I'm late? So what" I'm tearing up you stuff while security watches! "
And ther ain't a dang thing you can do about it!
This has less to do with anything "government", as it does just the simple reality of the culture today in China. A huge population of only children - the traditional Chinese way of raising children (giving them anything and everything, without any discipline, in hopes of living off of them when they grow up) - coupled with the huge influx of personal wealth (without actual work behind it) - has resulted in a wave of self entitled grown children. It is everywhere here.
And the security guards? Well, when the actual police have no real power, what would you expect out of security guards? Police tend to let things play out here.
In America the shrine of Democracy he would have been arrested and locked up if he was not shot first. Those Godless communists are investigating things first. Who is really free?
Did he catch the next plane? I watched this entire video without any closure.
hopefully not and that the government seized all the knock off products the family had on them at the time : Nike running shoes and hats, Ralph Lauren polos, LV handbag, CK underwear, etc., etc.
Jeez, look what he just taught his two kids! Sad!!
Where are the cops????? Typical wife with cellphone to ear the whole time. Hilarious!
True Progressives
The Chinese Communist elites are untouchable, invincible, and going immortal. Chinese cops are only good at harrassing its common citizens.