Oppression apparent in school trip to China

I have been greatly disturbed by China’s reaction to the protests being staged by citizens of Hong Kong.

Several years ago, I was one of a group of teachers and graduating students from Pointe Claire who took part in a guided tour of China. I did not enjoy it. An atmosphere of oppression was apparent from the moment we disembarked in Beijing until we thankfully arrived back in Canada.

Our tour included many trips to local institutions, three of which remain vividly in my memory. The first, a tour of Tiananmen Square, was notable due to the arrival of a soup kitchen close to our group. A queue formed and one of our group immediately started taking pictures, until a Chinese official approached him and confiscated the spool, saying that taking pictures was forbidden.

The second incident happened when we dismounted from our buses at a local university. We were at once surrounded by students with but one question: How could they leave China and get to Canada?

The third, a visit to a combine, was the most disturbing. A number of children were in the care of officials and we witnessed more than one example of corporal punishment. By the non-reaction of the children, it was obvious this treatment was the norm.

We returned to Canada about a week before the world was shocked by the happenings on Tiananmen Square. One can only hope that the present conflict, which must be bringing Hong Kong’s financial institutions to their knees, will not end in similar bloodshed.

Christina Edgar, Renfrew

SHARE YOUR VIEWS: letters@ottawacitizen.com