Ya-Weilin-Obituary

Ya Weilin

Obituary

BEIJING (AP) — The father of a man killed in the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown has hanged himself in protest after two decades of failed attempts to seek government redress, a support group said Monday.

The group, known as the Tiananmen Mothers, said 73-year-old Ya Weilin's body was found in an unused underground parking garage below his residential complex in Beijing. He was believed to have killed himself Friday.

An obituary the group posted on its website said that according to Ya's family, he had carried a note that detailed his son's death and declared that he would die in protest because the issue had not been addressed for more than 20 years.

"We have written repeatedly in the past 18 years," Ya said in a 2007 interview with Catalonian TV3. "They never bothered to reply, not even once, totally ignored us."

Beijing police did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment.

Ya's death came about a week ahead of the anniversary of the night of June 3-4, 1989, when the military crushed the weekslong, student-led protests, possibly killing thousands of students, activists and ordinary citizens.

Official silence has been maintained about the incident ever since, with nothing written in school textbooks and public discussion virtually taboo.

The Tiananmen Mothers routinely issue open letters urging the country's leaders to account for the deaths. They have for years called for a full investigation, compensation to victims' families and punishment of those responsible for the military crackdown on student-led protesters. Members say the government has never responded.

Ya's son Ya Aiguo was shot in the head by martial-law troops in Beijing, according to an obituary the support group posted on its website. A testimony by Ya Aiguo's mother on the same site says that at the time, the 22-year-old had been waiting to be assigned a job and had gone out shopping with his girlfriend the evening he was killed.

His father killed himself out of despair and to protest the government's long-standing refusal to address the grievances of the victims' relatives, said Zhang Xianling, who knew Ya and his wife from the support group.

"The government's cold-blooded behavior has caused this tragic ending," said Zhang, who lost a 19-year-old son in the crackdown.

"I hope this incident will make the government circumspect and that such a thing will not happen again," Zhang said. "In this, the government has a responsibility. It owes a life now."

The Chinese government has never fully disclosed what happened when the military crushed the weekslong Tiananmen protests, which it branded a "counterrevolutionary riot." The government has never provided a credible account nor allowed an independent investigation into the events and the fatalities.

GILLIAN WONG,Associated Press

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Follow Gillian Wong on Twitter at http://twitter.com/gillianwong



Copyright © 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Not sure what to say?

Reflecting over Ya's life experience, I can only imagine the feelings of pain and deep loss he must have felt. Sad to say the human experience is full of agony and pain.
However, our loving Creator intends to rid the earth of all injustice and suffering. PSALM 72:12-14 says: ...
he will deliver the poor one crying for help, also the afflicted one and whoever has no helper... From oppression and from violenec he will redeem their soul, and their blood will be precious in his...

I am so sorry to hear of the death Mr. Ya Weilin. May the God of all comfort be with you all at this very difficult time and those ahead.2Corth 1:2,3

With deepest sympathy to the Weilin family during your time of grief...Psalm 46:1...God is for us a refuge and strength, A help that is readily to be found during difficult times...May God provide you with peace and comfort to endure the days ahead.

To the the family of Ya Weilin - May God give you peace and comfort through his word and the Lord Jesus Christ during this time of sorrow, I know that he will be missed by many.

Your sacrifice will never be forgotten!

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Weilin family, during this time of loss.

To the family and friends of Ya Weilin, please accept my deepest sorrow for the loss of your loved one. May the God of comfort give you peace and comfort at this time.

My deepest sympathy to the Weilin family. May God give you comfort. Psalms 55:22.

Jem D. Florida

To the family and friends, may the God of comfort be with you during this time of distress.