THE Chinese Association of Guyana has noted with disappointment, the circulation of a photograph on social media which suggests that Chinese nationals removed an unconscious or dead body from a Chinese store to the back of a car.

In a statement on Monday, the association said that contrary to the claims, the picture which surfaced is that of a Chinese national, who suffered from a stroke, being rushed to the hospital by his relatives.

The photo went viral on Monday after being shared on the social media page of the ‘Guyanese Critic’, an unaccredited source of information. The photo was taken on Regent Street and showed three Chinese men lifting an unconscious-looking individual into back of a vehicle.

According to the Chinese Association, the incident took place since April 18, 2020 and the individual passed away one day later due to pre-existing complications.

“The Chinese national in question had suffered a stroke and was admitted to a city hospital where they tried to resuscitate him but these efforts had proved futile. The gentleman had a history of heart problems and passed away on April 19, 2020 due to a stroke and not from COVID-19 as claimed by some sections of the media. After all the relevant procedures were adhered to, the city hospital issued the death certificate and the body was released to the relatives and cremated,” the statement said.

The association said that it is aware that persons with “malicious intentions” contacted the Alberttown Police Station and reported the matter, which give the relatives of the deceased cause to visit the station and present the facts of the situation.

It called on members of the public to desist from making claims against the Chinese community without proper verification of the facts, as this will lead to more harm than good.

It stated: “The association is very disappointed in and condemns the actions and baseless claims made by some persons on social media without verification of the facts. Please be reminded that we are all living in very challenging times as we battle the global COVID-19 pandemic and this is a very sensitive time for everyone across the world, for all people, Chinese and Guyanese alike. We need to be cognisant of the fact that baseless claims and non-verification of these can result in discrimination and stigma against innocent victims.”