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A video of two women locking a crying toddler in an airplane bathroom has sparked outrage and a heated online debate in China. The incident occurred on a Juneyao Airlines flight from Guiyang to Shanghai on August 24. The child, who was traveling with her grandparents, reportedly cried non-stop during the nearly three-hour flight. In an attempt to "educate her," two female passengers took the child to the restroom with the grandmother's consent. The video of the incident was posted on Douyin, China's version of TikTok, by one of the women involved.
In the video, one woman can be heard telling the crying child, "We won't let you out unless you stop crying." Once the child stopped crying, the woman filming the video picked her up and warned her, "If you make any noise again, we'll come back (to the bathroom)."
The video quickly went viral, with many social media users accusing the women of being heartless and bullying the child. The video was later deleted due to the backlash. According to the New York Post, the child's mother, who was not on the plane, reportedly sympathized with the women's actions.
Juneyao Airlines has since apologized for the incident and the "oversight of the crew," condemning the actions of the two passengers. The incident has fueled an ongoing debate about parenting in public places in China, where the government is trying to persuade couples to have more children. CNN reported that multiple Chinese state media outlets have also weighed in, accusing the two women of "inappropriate" behavior and calling for "greater understanding" from the public toward young children who cannot control their emotions.