By Du Wenjuan (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2008-05-30 11:39

Actress Sharon Stone's "karma" comment on China's devastating May 12 earthquake created an uproar of discussion online, even though she made an apology later through her agent on Thursday.

Related readings:  Stone's quake 'karma' apology doesn't mollify many Chinese  Stone karma remarks spark anger

Last week,  the Hollywood actress was interviewed on the red carpet during the Cannes Film Festival in France.

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

Chinese netizens say her apology was insincere, adding they "will reject it and not forgive (her)." Before she made her statement of her "wrong speech and behavior", Chinese online called her ignorant of the Tibet issue and had a cold-blooded reaction towards Chinese people's sorrows, which also speaks her disrespect of life.

The Chinese storms of condemnation toward Stone's ruthless comments have led to a call to ban her movies from being shown in all Chinese cinemas. And, online readers  from many foreign countries have ridiculed her "karma" comments.

"As an American, it makes me embarrassed that Sharon Stone would be so ignorant. She does not represent the feelings of most of us, nor should she be given any press. She is just another useless Hollywood elitist opening her mouth rather than her heart, and that is far too often the case," wrote a reader who called himself  as Kevin, on the chinadaily.com.cn forum.

Another American reader wrote: "I hope our Chinese friends will know that we Americans are grieving for those killed and affected by this terrible earthquake, and that we wish to help in any way we can. I don't know of anyone who agrees with Ms. Stone's comments."

Many Chinese English readers at home and abroad commented that what Stone said at Cannes is shockingly insulting.

Following her apology on Thursday, cosmetics firm Christian Dior dropped Stone from its Chinese advertising campaign.

The Shanghai International Film Festival has also decided to permanently ban Stone and her films.