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January 28, 2005
Laying Zhao to Rest
Arrangements for the funeral for Zhao Ziyang are finally settled, after disputes between the Zhao family and the CCP. Angry Chinese Blogger has the general news story, where one witnesses just how low the CCP can go. But here are some details that are missed in English media sources:
Reports say that the impasse between the CCP and the Zhao family was finally resolved when Wen Jiabao intervene on behalf of the CCP. The dispute over how to address Zhao's role in Tiananmen 1989 was resolved by the proposal to scrap any discussion of Zhao's political role altogether, although Zhao's second son had previously said that “even a dead dog gets an explanation.” Wen, current State Premier, is famous for a photograph of him and Zhao with Tiananmen protesters in May 1989, although he had since supported the June 4 crackdown.
Many CCP old guards and their descendents have given their respects to Zhao over the past few days and urged for greater official recognition. Now more and more have come out in support of recuperating Zhao, although these individuals have supported recuperation and re-evaluation of 1989/06/04 for some time. Meanwhile, almost the entire contigent of senior CCP members in Guangdong province from the 1980s are heading up to Beijing to attend Zhao's funeral. A significant part of Zhao's rise to power was based from his work in Guangdong, and his push for early market liberalization reforms for that province has left a lasting impression.
APF reports that dozens of Zhao mourners have been arrested after a scuffle with the police guarding the Zhao residence. At least three mourners were injured, with one possibly permanently blinded. The altercation began when police said that Zhao was a political criminal and asked the crowd of approximately sixty mourners why they would mourn him; the crowd retorted that Zhao was a good man.
Posted by Kelvin at January 28, 2005 1:41 AM
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Comments
Even in our Sichuan, where he did so much and from where the famous "yao chi liang, zao ziyang" phrase came from, there has not been any mazor mourning.
Posted by: preetam rai 
at January 28, 2005 11:21 PM
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