News: Chinese People Mourn Zhao’s Death

Net Users Call for Reevaluation of History

Tiananmen Mothers: This Is a Tragedy for the Chinese Nation

Tiananmen Mothers, a group of women whose children were killed during the Tiananmen Square Massacre, issued a statement praising Zhao Ziyang as an outstanding leader and politician. They also expressed sympathy for Zhao’s plight – kept under house arrest for over a decade. “This is truly a tragedy for the Chinese Nation!” Tiananmen Mothers said that they were especially concerned that even until death, Zhao Ziyang “was not restored the freedom that he sought, which is the birthright of any human being. This is truly too brutal, too cruel!”

Statements by Wuer Kai Xi and Wan Dan, (in article)

Contrary to China’s state controlled media’s low-keyed reporting of Zhao Ziyang’s death, within half an hour of the news published on Sina Net, there were massive responses from people wishing to express their grief. However the BBS commentary provided by Sina Net was very quickly deleted. The number of people logging on to PeopleNet’s Qiangguo Forum rapidly increased and quickly rose from an initial nearly 10,000 to 50,000. Large-scale expressions of mourning emerged. On average, there were approximately 2,000 messages per hour, but most messages were very quickly deleted by censors.

By 2:00 p.m. Beijing time, January 17, there were almost no new expressions of mourning posted. Even the ones posted earlier had been almost entirely removed. The only channel for China’s Internet users to express their feelings had been closed.

http://english.epochtimes.com/news/5-1-19/25816.html

Chinese People Mourn Zhao’s Death
Net Users Call for Reevaluation of History
The Epoch Times
Jan 19, 2005

Former Party Secretary Mr. Zhao Ziyang, 85, passed away on the morning of January 17, 2005, and since then Chinese people of all walks of life have expressed their sympathy and support for him, calling his death a national tragedy. Both within China and abroad, people are paying close attention to whether Zhao Ziyang’s death will herald changes in China’s political scene.

(image: A website dedicated to the memory of late Communist Party reformer Zhao Ziyang (Goh Chai Hin/AFP/Getty Images))

Large numbers of Chinese express their grief on the Internet and call for the restoration of China’s true history.

Contrary to China’s state controlled media’s low-keyed reporting of Zhao Ziyang’s death, within half an hour of the news published on Sina Net, there were massive responses from people wishing to express their grief. However the BBS commentary provided by Sina Net was very quickly deleted. The number of people logging on to PeopleNet’s Qiangguo Forum rapidly increased and quickly rose from an initial nearly 10,000 to 50,000. Large-scale expressions of mourning emerged. On average, there were approximately 2,000 messages per hour, but most messages were very quickly deleted by censors.

By 2:00 p.m. Beijing time, January 17, there were almost no new expressions of mourning posted. Even the ones posted earlier had been almost entirely removed. The only channel for China’s Internet users to express their feelings had been closed.

Among all the posts, the most prevalent expression was of sorrow and deep mourning. Many wished Zhao a “good journey.” Zhao’s death also triggered a renewed appeal for democracy. People requested that Zhao’s name be restored and that the government investigate the party responsible for intensifying the conflicts during the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Many Internet posts said that the government’s treatment of Zhao’s funeral would indicate how the authorities choose to characterize his life. Some people wrote mournful poems. Some said they would buy wreaths to commemorate his passing.

Student Leaders Wuer Kaixi and Wang Dan Mourn Zhao’s loss

Wang Dan, student leader of the Tiananmen Square Democratic Movement, told Central News Agency that Zhao Ziyang devoted his whole life to Communism and was a loyal follower of the CCP. It was a historic irony that Zhao ended up under house arrest for 15 years. Wuer Kaixi, another student leader of the Tiananmen Square Democratic Movement, said that the democracy movement in China would not come to an end because of Zhao’s death. He believes that, one day, Zhao and the pro-democracy leaders will all have their names restored.

Dr. Jiang Yanyong

SARS whistle-blower Dr. Jiang Yanyong, under house arrest, is unable to comment

Dr. Jiang Yanyong, whistle-blower in China’s handling of the SARS epidemic, has openly suggested that the government re-evaluate the Tiananmen Square student movement, He is currently under house arrest. Dr. Jiang told The Epoch Times over the phone that he heard of Zhao’s death on television. Dr. Jiang said that because he is a military doctor, he is under many restrictions. Since he was put under house arrest, he is not permitted to have media interviews, go outside, accept visitors, or express his opinion on many things. He was not able to comment on Zhao’s death, and only suggested that the media “can understand how I feel.” He said he wasn’t told how long the house arrest would last.

Tiananmen Mothers: This Is a Tragedy for the Chinese Nation

Tiananmen Mothers, a group of women whose children were killed during the Tiananmen Square Massacre, issued a statement praising Zhao Ziyang as an outstanding leader and politician. They also expressed sympathy for Zhao’s plight – kept under house arrest for over a decade. “This is truly a tragedy for the Chinese Nation!” Tiananmen Mothers said that they were especially concerned that even until death, Zhao Ziyang “was not restored the freedom that he sought, which is the birthright of any human being. This is truly too brutal, too cruel!”

Copyright 2004 – The Epoch Times