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Relatives call for help in finding China's Tiananmen dead
Beijing (AFP) May 28, 2009 Relatives of people killed when China crushed the Tiananmen protests called Thursday for help in finding out what happened to victims unaccounted for, days ahead of the 20th anniversary of the crackdown. The "Tiananmen Mothers," a group of 128 relatives, also asked for an investigation into the military's actions on June 3-4, 1989, when tanks rolled towards Tiananmen Square, killing hundreds and possibly thousands. "We hereby earnestly appeal to all those who have information about the tragedy: please provide us with clues about the victims, even if they be just the slightest traces of clues," the group said in a statement released by the New-York based Human Rights in China (HRIC). "Do not let a temporary oversight result in a lifetime of regret." The group, headed by 72-year-old Ding Zilin whose son was killed on the night of June 3, has confirmed 195 deaths so far by conducting its own investigations, but says the figure does not come near the overall death toll. Beijing authorities once put the death toll at 241, including 36 students, but the central government, which labelled the six weeks of pro-democracy protests a "counter-revolutionary uprising," has not issued an official toll or namelist. The "Tiananmen Mothers" also called for an official investigation into the June 4 events, compensation for the victims' relatives, and the prosecution of those responsible. "The past 20 years have been very long and challenging for those of us who have suffered the loss of loved ones," the statement said. "Utilitarianism and pragmatism have replaced the idealism and passion of former days. China is not getting closer to freedom, democracy and human rights, but rather drifting farther away." HRIC urged Chinese authorities to respond to the requests. "As the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China approaches, the Chinese leadership has a unique opportunity to demonstrate its respect for the lives and dignity of its own citizens," the rights group said. Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links China News from SinoDaily.com
Publisher defends Zhao memoir after Beijing attackHong Kong (AFP) May 28, 2009 The publisher of a memoir by deposed Chinese leader Zhao Ziyang on Thursday defended the book following an attack by Beijing-backed media that made a rare mention of the 1989 democracy protests. Zhao was ousted over his sympathy with the Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing which were crushed by army on June 4, 1989 with the deaths of hundreds, possibly thousands. Bao Pu, the publisher ... read more |
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