Tiananmen mums are hounded 30 years on
Dead protesters’ ageing relatives ‘persecuted’ by powers in China
As the world marks 30 years since the Tiananmen Square massacre, a group of increasingly frail pensioners still stand bravely against the Chinese government.
In the build-up to today’s anniversary, Beijing has taken forceful action to try to silence the Tiananmen Mothers.
Authorities have never issued an official death toll for the military crackdown against the peaceful pro-democracy protest on June 4, 1989, but it has been reported as many as 10,000 people were killed.
Public commemorations are banned and the elderly campaigners have seen no accountability for the murder of relatives.
In the weeks before the anniversary, many of the 127 Mothers say they were detained or confined to their homes, spied on and harassed.
In a bid to make their voices heard, the group issued an open letter to human rights groups.
Writing on behalf of the Mothers, Ding Zilin, 82, whose son, 17-yearold Jiang Jielian, was shot dead that day, said: “The authorities send carloads of agents to stand guard in front of our homes and forbid us to go out or receive guests freely...
“Even when they do let us leave
our homes, there are police officers, or plainclothes agents on our tail.
“Our phones are tapped, our computers are hacked. Some of us even have surveillance cameras installed in and outside our homes.
“And some have been more than
once called in by the police, put under residential surveillance and/ or criminal detention, and even taken to the detention centre in handcuffs.” On May 20 this year, Ding was ordered by police to leave her home in Beijing and travel 1,100km (680 miles) to her hometown Wuxi, in Jiangsu province, to keep her away from the capital.
Sophie Richardson, of Human Rights Watch, said: “The fact President Xi’s government – the world’s second largest economy, the world’s largest standing army... cannot tolerate peaceful observation of this sombre occasion, let alone hope for any accountability, should cause alarm around the world.”
The letter, published by Human Rights in China, said: “Our tears are drained, our strength is exhausted... We are filled with unbearable grief.”
The death of reformist former Communist Party leader Hu Yaobang, on April 15, 1989, provided the spark for the protests.
On May 13 that year, more than 100 students began a hunger strike in Tiananmen Square.
A later rally drew 1.2 million, prompting martial law, leading to the massacre in the Square. Two years ago, a British diplomatic cable was de-classified, alleging at least 10,000 were killed.
■ More info: Visit Human Rights in China and The Unforgotten Project at truth30.hrichina.org
We are forbidden from going out or receiving guests. Our phones are tapped, some of us are detained
DING ZILIN ON HARASSMENT