On the eve of the annual session of both the National People’s Congress(NPC) and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), parents of victims of the Tiananmen Square Massacre are calling for a discussion about the massacre.
According to Hong Kong-based newspaper Apple Daily, starting in 1995, Tiananmen Mothers have continually written open letters to the NPC and CPPCC. This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the massacre. Ms. Ding Zilin, a founding member of the organization “Tiananmen Mothers,” said that in addition to an investigation, compensation, and criminal prosecution, Tiananmen Mothers are also asking the government to conduct a public opinion survey of the massacre, and allow public discussion.
In the open letter titled, “With Courage, Please Break the Forbidden Zone and Face the Massacre,” the Tiananmen Mothers said that the government has intentionally underplayed the Tiananmen Square Massacre. They suggested that the CPPCC conduct a public opinion survey in China, especially Beijing, about the massacre.
Ms. Ding said, “They treat the massacre as a forbidden zone. We can’t talk about it or discuss it. They have to open up the topic to allow for free discussion before they can find a just solution.”
Ding lost her 17-year-old son Jiang Jielian in the massacre.
The Associated Press reported that according to human rights activist Zhou Li, in recent days, authorities have arrested over 1,000 petitioners who traveled to Beijing to appeal to the central government for their causes.
Read original article in Chinese
According to Hong Kong-based newspaper Apple Daily, starting in 1995, Tiananmen Mothers have continually written open letters to the NPC and CPPCC. This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the massacre. Ms. Ding Zilin, a founding member of the organization “Tiananmen Mothers,” said that in addition to an investigation, compensation, and criminal prosecution, Tiananmen Mothers are also asking the government to conduct a public opinion survey of the massacre, and allow public discussion.
In the open letter titled, “With Courage, Please Break the Forbidden Zone and Face the Massacre,” the Tiananmen Mothers said that the government has intentionally underplayed the Tiananmen Square Massacre. They suggested that the CPPCC conduct a public opinion survey in China, especially Beijing, about the massacre.
Ms. Ding said, “They treat the massacre as a forbidden zone. We can’t talk about it or discuss it. They have to open up the topic to allow for free discussion before they can find a just solution.”
Ding lost her 17-year-old son Jiang Jielian in the massacre.
The Associated Press reported that according to human rights activist Zhou Li, in recent days, authorities have arrested over 1,000 petitioners who traveled to Beijing to appeal to the central government for their causes.
Read original article in Chinese
