| :: Contact Us :: Affiliates :: Links & Resources |
|
|||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||
|
| :: Mainland Media :: Workers :: Working Conditions :: ACFTU and Trade Unions :: Society and Welfare :: Globalisation :: Industries :: Strikes |
Society and WelfareTiananmen MothersTiananmen Mothers, a group of 126 family members of those killed or injured during the violent crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing in June 1989, wrote an open letter in February 2006 to the National People's Congress (NPC) and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) complaining about the arbitrary freezing of funds meant for humanitarian assistance. In the June 4 Massacre, hundreds of peaceful protesters and civilians were killed, many of them young breadwinners of their families. The group of mothers and relatives has compiled a list of 155 dead and 65 wounded, giving the names and details of victims, who ranged in age from nine to 61. Most were students aged 17 to 25. In many cases, their bodies have never been found. The Mothers pointed out that in 1998 the Beijing's Public Security Bureau (PSB) froze an account in the Bank of China containing 11,620 German Marks in funds donated to relieve the burden of family members of June 4 victims. The PSB cited "investigational requirements" for its action but has until now given no explanation of the nature of inquiries. Nor has anyone been accused of any crime in connection with the funds. Yet the decision to freeze the funds has been made 14 times, each time for a period of six months. In the open letter, Ding Zilin, a senior academic and leading founder of Tiananmen Mothers, whose 17-year-old son was killed on the night of June 4, 1989, called for the release of the donated funds and graurantee its accessibility for the intended beneficiaries. Over the last 16 years, widows, widowers, orphans and grieving parents have been left to face the tragedy with little or no help. In addition, they have faced countless instances of harassment, detention and victimisation by the Chinese government. The families have reported that employers of their dead family members forced them to state that the loved ones' "disappearances" were due to traffic accidents. If the families failed to comply, their allowances were cancelled. Some family members faced harassment at the workplace and discrimination when seeking jobs. The families cannot afford to send their children to school. The sick and elderly can ill afford rising costs of medical treatment. A majority of the families of Tiananmen victims live in poverty. IHLO supports Tiananmen Mothers' call for the release of the donated funds and endorses their reasonable request for dialogue to resolve issues remaining over the June 4 incident, including a full accounting of those killed and wounded, appropriate compensation to the victims and their families and a determination of official responsibility for the crackdown. IHLO also demands that the Chinese government stop its unfair treatment of the victims' families and guarantee them fair access to employment. --------------- http://hrichina.org/public/contents/press?revision%5fid=27296&item%5fid=27295 (English) |