At the request of the Tiananmen Mothers, Human Rights in China issues the following essay by the group in remembrance of their loved ones who were killed in June Fourth 1989.
On the 27th Anniversary of the June Fourth Massacre
The Tiananmen Mothers
June 1, 2016
[Translation by Human Rights in China]
In September last year, a key member of the Tiananmen Mothers group, Mr. Jiang Peikun, passed away. His death was followed by that of Ms. Zhang Shuyun from Shandong. And in April this year, Ms. Han Shuxiang from Dalian died of illness. To date, 41 members from our group of victims’ family members are deceased. Their final regret was not being able to see justice done and wrong redressed!
Twenty-seven years have passed since the June Fourth Massacre of 1989. For us, family members of the victims’ families, it has been 27 years of white terror and suffocation.
For 27 years, the police have been the ones who have dealt with us. For 27 years, they have also been our frequent visitors at home. Each beginning of the year, from the anniversary of the late premier Mr. Zhao Ziyang’s death, to the Two Congresses, Tomb Sweeping Day, anniversary of June Fourth, to major national events and foreign politicians’ visits—we the victims’ families are eavesdropped and surveilled upon by the police; we are followed or even detained, and our computers searched and confiscated. The police use contemptible means such as making up stories, fabricating facts, issuing threats, etc., against us. All these actions undoubtedly desecrate the souls of those who perished in June Fourth, and insult the honors of the living.
What is worse this year, the police have warned us, is that from April 22 to June 4, visits to Teacher Ding Zilin are being restricted. Those who want to visit her must apply for permission and may visit her only after approval by the Beijing Public Security Bureau, and they may not be accompanied by other victims’ family members.
Teacher Ding Zilin lost two family members last year—what a cruel double blow to an 80-year-old woman. She is physically and mentally exhausted and her state is worrisome. The affection and friendships among us, the victims’ families, have been coalesced by the blood of our family members. Our affection is deep and our friendships are sincere, surpassing those among family members. But even this simple and unadorned affection has been deprived by the police in their detestable perversity and unreasonableness.
For 27 years, we, victims’ families, have rationally maintained our three appeals: truth, accountability, and compensation, in an effort to seek a just resolution to the miscarriage of justice of June Fourth. But the government has ignored us, pretending that the June Fourth Massacre that shocked the whole world never happened in China, and refusing to respond to our appeals, while our fellow countrymen gradually lose the memory of the event.
We must inform the world that this is the current reality of the living conditions of the June Fourth victims' families!
As everyone knows, the June Fourth tragedy resulted from the government’s flagrant mobilizing of the field army to kill peacefully protesting students and citizens. This was unprecedented in the history of China. If the government continues to not face the facts in good faith, and not resolve this problem from a legal perspective, then China will have difficulty preventing this type of tragedy from happening again in the future! Evidence proves that after the suppression of June Fourth the whole country was plagued with corruption from top to bottom, resulting in the current challenges in fighting corruption.
A government that unscrupulously slaughters its own fellow citizens, a government that does not know how to cherish its own fellow citizens, and a government that forgets, conceals, and covers up the truth of historical suffering has no future—it is a government that is continuing to commit crimes!
People need to live with dignity and die with dignity. As the families of victims, more than one-third of our individual lives have been lived under the shadow of our loved ones who were shot dead. But we live with strength and optimism—because we hold the firm belief that we need to struggle, work hard, and persevere. In the 27 years of suffering all kinds of hardships, abuse by the authorities, and intimidation, we have nothing left to fear. We are convinced that the June Fourth tragedy will inevitably reach a fair and just resolution—because the truth is on our side, and we have the vigorous support of the just and kind-hearted people of the whole world. We use our immense maternal love to declare publicly to future generations: do not succumb to brute force, confront all evil forces with courage, and justice will prevail! The June Fourth massacre will forever be etched into the history of the world—no amount of power can rub this out!
We persist, with our respects to those who previously fought alongside us and are now deceased, and condolences to loved ones of the victims of the June Fourth massacre!
Signatories:
尤维洁 You Weijie
郭丽英 Guo Liying
张彦秋 Zhang Yanqiu
吴丽虹 Wu Lihong
尹 敏 Yin Min
郝义传 Hao Yichuan
祝枝弟 Zhu Zhidi
叶向荣 Ye Xiangrong
徐 珏 Xu Jue
丁子霖 Ding Zilin
张先玲 Zhang Xianling
王范地 Wang Fandi
周淑庄 Zhou Shuzhuang
李雪文 Li Xuewen 钱普泰 Qian Putai
吴定富 Wu Dingfu
宋秀玲 Song Xiuling
孙承康 Sun Chengkang
于 清 Yu Qing
孙 宁 Sun Ning
黄金平 Huang Jinping
孟淑英 Meng Shuying
袁淑敏 Yuan Shumin
王广明 Wang Guangming
刘梅花 Liu Meihua
谢京花 Xie Jinghua
马雪琴 Ma Xueqin
邝瑞荣 Kuang Ruirong
张树森 Zhang Shusen
杨大榕 Yang Darong
贺田凤 He Tianfeng
刘秀臣 Liu Xiuchen
沈桂芳 Shen Guifang
谢京荣 Xie Jingrong
金贞玉 Jin Zhenyu
要福荣 Yao Furong
孟淑珍 Meng Shuzhen
田淑玲 Tian Shuling
邵秋风 Shao Qiufeng
王桂荣 Wang Guirong
谭汉凤 Tan Hanfeng
孙恒尧 Sun Hengyao
王文华 Wang Wenhua
陈 梅 Chen Mei
周 燕 Zhou Yan
李桂英 Li Guiying
徐宝艳 Xu Baoyan
狄孟奇 Di Mengqi
王 连 Wang Lian
管卫东 Guan Weidong
高 婕 Gao Jie
刘淑琴 Liu Shuqin
王双兰 Wang Shuanglan
孙珊萍 Sun Shanping
张振霞 Zhang Zhenxia
刘天媛 Liu Tianyuan
黄定英 Huang Dingying
熊 辉 Xiong Hui
张彩凤 Zhang Caifeng
何瑞田 He Ruitian
田维炎 Tian Weiyan
杨志玉 Yang Zhiyu
李显远 Li Xianyuan
王玉芹 Wang Yuqin
曹长先 Cao Changxian
方 政 Fang Zheng
齐志勇 Qi Zhiyong
冯友祥 Feng Youxiang
何兴才 He Xingcai
刘仁安 Liu Renan
齐国香 Qi Guoxiang
韩国刚 Han Guogang
石 峰 Shi Feng
庞梅清 Pang Meiqing
黄 宁 Huang Ning
王伯冬 Wang Bodong
张志强 Zhang Zhiqiang
赵金锁 Zhao Jinsuo
孔维真 Kong Weizhen
刘保东 Liu Baodong
陆玉宝 Lu Yubao
齐志英 Qi Zhiying
方桂珍 Fang Guizhen
雷 勇 Lei Yong
肖书兰 Xiao Shulan
葛桂荣 Ge Guirong
郑秀村 Zheng Xiucun
王惠蓉 Wang Huirong
邢承礼 Xing Chengli
桂德兰 Gui Delan
王运启 Wang Yunqi
黄雪芬 Huang Xuefen
郭达显 Guo Daxian
王 琳 Wang Lin
刘 乾 Liu Qian
朱镜蓉 Zhu Jingrong
金亚喜 Jin Yaxi
周国林 Zhou Guolin
穆怀兰 Mu Huailan
王争强 Wang Zhengqiang
宁书平 Ning Shuping
曹云兰 Cao Yunlan
隋立松 Sui Lisong
林武云 Lin Wuyun
冯淑兰 Feng Shulan
付媛媛 Fu Yuanyuan
孙淑芳 Sun Shufang
李春山 Li Chunshan
蒋艳琴 Jiang Yanqin
何凤亭 He Fengting
谭淑琴 Tan Shuqin
奚永顺 Xi Yongshun
肖宗友 Xiao Zongyou
乔秀兰 Qiao Xiulan
陆燕京 Lu Yanjing
李浩泉 Li Haoquan
赖运迪 Lai Yundi
周小姣 Zhou Xiaojiao
周运姣 Zhou Yunjiao
陈永朝 Chen Yongchao
陈永邦 Chen Yongbang
刘永亮 LiuYongliang
张景利 Zhang Jingli
孙海文 Sun Haiwen
王海林 Wang Hailin
陆三宝 Lu Sanbao
姚月英 Yao Yueying
任改莲 Ren Gailian
倪世殊 Ni Shishu
杨云龙 Yang Yunlong
崔林森 Cui Linsen
(131 in total)
As suggested by members of victims’ families, the names of our deceased group members who had been signatories over the years are also listed below to honor their unfulfilled wish:
吴学汉 Wu Xuehan
苏冰娴 Su Bingxian
姚瑞生 Yao Ruisheng
杨世钰 Yang Shiyu
袁长录 Yuan Changlu
周淑珍 Zhou Shuzhen
王国先 Wang Guoxian
包玉田 Bao Yutian
林景培 Lin Jingpei
寇玉生 Kou Yusheng
孟金秀 Meng Jinxiu
张俊生 Zhang Junsheng
吴守琴 Wu Shouqin
周治刚 Zhou Zhigang
孙秀芝 Sun Xiuzhi
罗让 Luo Rang
严光汉 Yan Guanghan
李贞英 Li Zhenying
邝涤清 Kuang Diqing
段宏炳 Duan Hongbing
刘春林 Liu Chunlin
张耀祖 Zhang Yaozu
李淑娟 Li Shujuan
杨银山 Yang Yinshan
王培靖 Wang Peijing
袁可志 Yuan Kezhi
潘木治 Pan Muzhi
萧昌宜 Xiao Changyi
轧伟林 Ya Weilin
刘建兰 Liu Jianlan
索秀女 Suo Xiunü
杨子明 Yang Ziming
程淑珍 Cheng Shuzhen
杜东旭 Du Dongxu
张桂荣 Zhang Guirong
赵廷杰 Zhao Tingjie
陆马生 Lu Masheng
蒋培坤 Jiang Peikun
任金宝 Ren Jinbao
张淑云 Zhang Shuyun
韩淑香 Han Shuxiang
(41 in total)
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