China: 40 Missing Children's Parents Petition Journey to Beijing

The news of 40 parents petitioning in Beijing for their missing children has been censored by the mainstream media and major internet news portals in China. Blogger Beifeng re-posts a first-person account from one of the petitioning parents in his blog, and urges readers to spread the news.

25日,我在北京的酒店里。一大早,彭先生来找我,早前我推荐过他的寻人博客因此而认识。他来北京上访,屡屡碰壁,很无助,但我帮不了他什么。八点半我们在大堂聊事情的时候,有人在旁监视。

我把刘晓原律师的电话给了他,我想他或许用得着。一个小时后,他被抓走了。

以下是他写的经历。我对各位网友的请求是,尽可能转贴吧。

On Sep 25, I was in my Hotel in Beijing. Mr. Pang knocked at my door early in the morning. I introduced him to a missing person blog earlier on, and this time he came to Beijing for a visit petition. He was helpless and I couldn't give him much support. When we talked in the hotel lobby at 8:30 am, someone was monitoring us.

I gave the phone number of Liu Xiao-yuan, a human rights lawyer, to Mr. Pang hoping that Liu could give him more advice. However, within an hour, Mr. Pang was arrested.

Below is what he had written to me, an account of their petition experience in Beijing. I hope readers can help to spread the news on the Internet.

The report was first published at blog.163, but was unpublished. Mr. Pang created a blog about his missing son Pang Wen-le.

家长们寻子无果,无奈进京上访

近年来,全国各地的儿童接连被偷甚至被抢,不计其数。犯罪份子的作案手段已向暴力化、集团化、职业化、国际化发展。我们为了找到孩子差不多走遍全国,我们每个人都债台高筑、倾家荡产,我们每个家中的亲人都有因为思念孩子死的、疯的、病的,其余的人也都是个个心力交瘁。当然很多的案件是可以很及时的破获的。但是由于。。。。。种种的人为因素,(在这里,我也不想在说关于我攻击我们的公安部门的过激言论)失去了解救孩子的宝贵时间。孩子失踪 24小时才可以立案,我却认为是我们的法律提供了人贩子做案的时间。提醒人贩子必须在24小时转移我们的孩子。我们无奈,逐步向上反应,没有线索的案子一拖在拖。半年过去了,一年过去了。。。。。。家长们每天都生活在极度的痛苦中,心里时刻在滴血,有的家长由于家庭的实际种种因素,不得已,只有选择放弃。在我寻找孩子的过程中,通过到处张贴的寻人启示,电视,报纸,网络结识了很多和我有着共同命运的人,大家一谈到找孩子,都有一段很辛酸的故事。一个偶然的机会我们在网络上看到了一篇关于河南孩子被解救的报道。这个案子也是久久不能破。不知道他们是通过什么渠道让我们的总理知道了。经温总理批示,8个月没有破的案子。8天全部告破。这篇报道让我们看到了希望。重新点燃了我们寻找孩子的激情。我们坚信,只要我们的仁慈的总理知道了我们的事情。一定会帮我们找到孩子的。带着这唯一的希望,我们决定集体进京向我们的总理请愿。为了不影响国家的形象,我们把时间定在了奥运会,残奥会结束后的9月22号。

Parents failed to find their children and helplessly pay a visit to petition higher authorities in Beijing

In recent years, there have been countless numbers of child kidnapping cases all over the country. Criminals are becoming more violent, organized, professional and international. In order to find our missing children, we traveled across the country and many of us are now in debt in addition to the tremendous emotional stress we have been suffering. Some of the parents have turned crazy and sick… Due to man-made factors (here, I don't want to attack our public security department), we have lost much time for saving our dear children. We could only file our case when our children had been lost for 24 hours. Such regulations have provided the human traffickers time for their crime, reminding them to smuggle our children away within 24 hours. We have no choice but to seek help from higher authorities.

Six months passed, and now it has been one year, parents are living in agony. Some parents were forced to give up due to all kinds of reason. In the process of searching for our children, parents with similar fates have come together, and share our bitter story. By chance, we came across an article about rescuing kidnapped children from Henan. We wonder how our Premier Wen got to know the case, and with his instruction, an 8-month hanging case was resolved within 8 days.

The article gives us hope in seeking for our children. We believe that if Premier Wen knows about our situation, he can definitely help us to find our children. With this hope, we decided to visit Beijing together and hand in our petition to Premier Wen. In order to avoid having negative impact on our national image, we decided to petition on Sep 22, after the end of Olympic and Paralympic Games.

鸟巢展示寻人启事

9月22号,全国各地的失踪儿童家长陆续来到了北京。我们找到了一家廉价的旅馆(地下室)住下。还有一些特别困难的家庭,他们舍不得住旅馆只有在北京火车站露宿。后来经过我们平摊。让他们也住近了旅馆。记过大家商量,决定等二天在鸟巢展示我们的寻人启事。经过统计全国失踪家长来自10个省 40余人。33号一早我们40余家长很早就赶到了所有中国人都引以为豪的宏伟建筑——鸟巢。但是我们确没有看鸟巢的心情。我们来到了鸟巢的东大门,找了个人多的地方,依次排队站开,展示我们的寻子海报。想让更多的人知道我们的遭遇,也提醒更多的人注意自己身边的孩子,保护好自己的孩子,不要让人贩子有作案的机会。很多的人对我们投来了同情的目光,由于太阳很大,还有好心的人给我们买来了矿泉水。有些家长的情绪很不稳定,大家都拿着自己孩子的寻子海报哭诉着向行人介绍孩子是怎么被偷,被抢的。有一个很有正义的大学生看到了我们的遭遇,非常的同情,也对拐卖儿童的现象非常的愤怒。愿意帮助我们做些宣传活动。后来来了一家美国的记者要采访我们。我们拒绝了,因为中国的事情还是要我们的中国政府解决的。我们也不想把事情弄到国际上去。于是我们收起了寻子海报。准备去找我们中国的权威媒体。中央电视台,能够得到他们的帮助,我们寻找孩子就有希望了。

Displaying missing person poster at the Birdnest

On Sep 22, missing children's parents from all over the country arrived in Beijing. We found a cheap hostel (a dungeon) to settle down. Some of them were sleeping in the Beijing railway station as they couldn't afford the cost of the hostel. Later we decided to share the cost and let them stay in the hostel as well. We discussed and decided to display our missing person posters outside the Birdnest stadium. There were in total more than 40 parents coming from 10 provinces. On the day, all of us gathered outside the magnificent building which all Chinese people are so proud of. However, we didn't have the mood to take a good look of this Birdnest. We walked to the east gate where there were more people around and displayed our missing children posters on the spot. We wanted more people to know what happened to us and remind people to protect their children from traffickers.

Many people felt sympathy with us, some even bought us water. Some parents became emotional and voiced their grievances to pedestrians. A university student approached us and wanted to help us to spread the news. An American reporter proposed to interview us, but we rejected the interview as we felt that this is a Chinese matter and should be dealt with by Chinese government. Moreover, we didn't want to internationalize the issue. We decided to collect our posters and seek help from Chinese media — CCTV.

求助央视 遭到拒绝

好心的大学生义务当了我们的向导,北京我们不熟悉,40位苦命的家长在大学生的带领下展转好运来到了中央电视台,在来的路上,我们觉察到了有3个人在交替的跟踪我们。我估计是国安局的。防止我们有什么过激的行为。在央室的门口。有一个很小的窗口,上面写着一个小小的几个字。“焦点访谈今日说法群众接待处”大概是下午4点半种,我们来反映情况,但是窗门紧闭,门口出来了一个武警,问我们是做什么的,可能看到我们40人,他也很紧张,我们和他说明了我们的来意。讲述了我们都是全国各地丢失孩子的家长。他说要向领导汇报,过了一会,央视大楼里出来了一个人,不知道是不是领导。我详细的给他讲述了我们寻子的事情。他说他也做不了主,这个事情有点大,需要国家广电批准才可以做的,这个节目要是做会影响国家现在“和谐社会”的口号,我听明白了意思,就是婉言谢绝了我们的请求。家长们的情绪当时就失控了。大家纷纷拿出来孩子的大幅寻子海报,把央视大门堵住了。还有人说,央视只报好的,不报社会阴暗面,这样社会怎么会进步,这样的社会怎么能够和谐,怎么多的儿童被拐,这么严重的社会现象,央视不报,那还报什么呀。局面混乱了,央视的保安拨打了110报警。不到 2分种就来了3辆警车。为了方便我们下面要做的事情,不想和警察正面发生冲突,警察对我们经过问讯,最后大学生说叫我们都先回去,他来和警察交涉。于是我们大家就回到了旅馆。最后他们把大学生带走了。记过电话我和大学生取得了联系。他们问了些我们的情况,要求他们学校的领导来把他接回去。到晚上10点多才把他放出来。对于大学生为哦了我们的事情被关到现在。所有的家长都很感激他。同时对公安的行为更加的气愤。公安不帮助我们。一个正义的大学生为了帮我们受到了这样的待遇。我们明显的感觉多北京也是个是非之地。

CCTV rejected to help us

The good-hearted university student became our tourist guide as we were not familiar with Beijing. The 40 parents felt lucky to find their way to CCTV. However, we were being followed and watched by 3 strangers. I think they were from the national security bureau to prevent us from extreme action.

Outside the gate of CCTV, there was a small window which is supposed to be the reception of the participants of the program “Today focus”. We arrived there at 4 p.m. and wanted to present our situation. However, the window was closed and there came an armed security guard asking what we were there for. Probably because we had 40 people, he looked rather tense. We explained our intention and told him that we are parents of missing children from all over the country. He replied that he couldn't make decision and for this kind of issue they need to seek approval from SARFT. He also explained that if CCTV took up the issue, it would have negative impact on the “harmonious society”. The implication was clear, CCTV had rejected our request politely.

Of course, the parents lost their emotional control. They took out their missing children posters and blocked the main gate of CCTV. Some of the parents complained that the CCTV only reported the good side and ignored the bad side of the society and wondered how the society would be improved and harmonious. They couldn't understand how CCTV could decide to ignore such a serious social problem. As the situation turned chaotic, the security staff called 110 for the police. In 2 minutes, 3 police vehicles arrived. In order to carry on our petition, we didn't want to be in conflict with the police, the university student volunteered to negotiate with the police and asked us to leave the scene. We returned to the hostel while the student was detained until 10 p.m until the university leader came to the police station to pick him up. We were so grateful to the student and furious at the police. They didn't help us at all and on the contrary harassed the university student. The issue was getting more complicated in Beijing.

迫于无奈 接受境外媒体采访

23号,今天北京下起了小雨,气温急距下降,这次来北京的家长大部分都是南方来的。没有办法室外活动。早早的我还是抱着一线微妙的希望,希望我们的真诚能感动央视,能帮我们做一期节目,我们3个代表再一次的来到了央视,接待我们的是个老大爷。听说了我们的遭遇,只能给予同情。说尽力帮我们反映上去。老大爷实话告诉我们。央视是国家的窗口。像这样的事情,报道的希望很渺小的。你们还是想想其他的办法吧。隐约的暗示我们。央视报道都是舆论到了压不住的时候,才会报道。如:瓮安事件。扬佳时间。三鹿事件。我想我们还要加大力度的宣传,让更多的人来关注我们这样的一个特殊群体。后来我们准备去王俯井去展示。公安不知道是通过什么渠道知道了我们住的旅馆。也就拦截了我们。我们被控制在旅馆了。说想办法帮助我们反映情况。这个时候美国广播电视台,和加泰罗尼亚国际广播电视台给我们来电话,希望采访我们。我不知道他们是怎么知道我们的电话的,也许是我们在鸟巢他们看到了我们寻人启事上的电话。征求了所有家长的意思,最后我们决定接受采访。国内的最权威的中央电视台给我们报道,难道我们还有拒绝境外媒体采访的理由吗?不过采访也不是很顺利。北京的警察百般阻止。但是我们有被采访的权利,外国记者也有采访的权利。警察又给旅馆老板施加压力。目的还是组织我们采访。这个时候的家长情绪都激动了。拿着寻子海报就往旅馆外面冲。旅馆不能采访,我们可以在我们接受采访吧。最后北京警察妥协了。让我们在旅馆采访。我们依次排开。拿着自己孩子的寻子照片,各自和记者讲述着自己的寻子路。所有的人哭了。记者也哭了。我们都在承受着人世间最痛苦的煎熬。记者告诉我们,尽量把我们的事情向中方高层反映。

Forced to accept foreign media interviews

It was rainy in Beijing on the 23rd and the temperature dropped suddenly. Most of the parents are from the south and it was very difficult for us to stay outdoors. At first, we hoped that our sincerity could move CCTV and help us by reporting the issue. On the next day, we sent three representatives to CCTV again. This time, an old man was at the reception. He could only show his sympathy to us and said he would help to reflect our condition to the leader. However, he also told us that CCTV is the window of the nation, it is very unlikely that they would report on this. He advised us to seek other ways. It seems that CCTV won't report on a social problem until they cannot cover it up anymore. There are many such examples, including Weng'an incident, Yang Jia court case and the Sanlu milk scandal. We had to give more pressure by raising concern from the public and decided to go to Wang Fujing to display our posters.

We didn't know how the police got to know where we stayed but they managed to block us from our action. We were detained in the hostel. However, probably the reporters got our contact number from our display posters at Birdnest stadium. Reporters from ABC and Catalonia television called us for interviews. Upon consulting all the parents’ opinions, we decided to accept the interview. As CCTV rejected to report on our case, we had no reason to reject foreign media anymore. However, the interview arrangement was not smooth. Beijing police tried very hard to stop us. But we have the right to be interviewed and foreign reporters also have the right to report news. The police then pressured the owner of the hostel. The parents were outraged and pushed them out of the hostel with their posters in their hands. In the end, the Beijing police compromised and allowed us to do the interview inside the hostel. With posters in our hands, we took turns telling our stories in seeking for our children. All of us cried, the reporters also shed tears. We had suffered from the greatest pain in life. The reporters told us that they would try hard to reflect our story to higher rank officials in China.

北京西单商场暴力被截

24号因为我们怕在次被控制,大家很早就离开了旅馆,我们准备去国家最高信访单位去正常上访。我们一出旅馆,就发现了有一辆警车跟着我们,一路上警车不停的在增加。最后发展到我们在前面走,后面有8辆警车跟在我们的后面。我们发觉不对,他们可能要对我们动手了。在我们走到长安街北路西单商场的门口的时候,下来了4个警察拦住了我们,问我们是干什么的。查看我们的身份证,很明显要对我们动手了。他们准备就绪了。我往后看了下,没个警车上有 10个警察,8个车就是有80个警察。孙卓的爸爸情绪失控了。说我们是来找孩子的,刚准备把寻子海报上的人贩子照片从包里拿出来给他们看,一切来的太突然了。迅速来了10多名警察,暴力的卡住了他的脖子,2个手被警察反扭着。还有的人抓着他的头发。无数双手抓住了他的衣服,所有的家长看到了这样的情况都围上来。80个警察全部下车围过来。将所有的家长拉开。就这样孙卓的爸爸被8个警察像制服杀人犯(只有在电视上看过,太可怕了,所有的家长都吓傻了)连拉带拖的关进了一个囚车。看到这样的情景,我上去和他们理论,我们又没有犯什么法。也没有闹事,你们为什么要抓我们的人,我就说了这么一句话,我也受到了和孙卓的爸爸同样的待遇。我只听到有一个像狗一样的警察抓我的头发,拼命的把我拉上车嘴里不停的说:“你敢质问政府,你敢要挟政府。”我们绝望了,这是什么社会呀。我们只怨我们不该生活在怎么一个“和谐的社会”和谐的太可怕了。人民的警察,对失踪儿童的家长动用了如此残酷的暴行。而我们还无处说理。家长们看到了我们两的待遇。都陆续上了囚车,最后把我们拉到了西长安街派出所设立一个“上访人员临时安置点”通俗点就是囚室。用铁门把我们关起来的。收了我们身份证,室内到处张贴者非正当上访的处理决定,意思就是要我们学习。我看到一个上访专业户,高达429次上访,劝说无果,拘留15天。里面没有水喝,没有饭吃。不过到是有个小买部。方便面和矿泉水和火车上的一样贵,我也真真的佩服那些人民警察,赚钱想到了赚上饭人的钱(题外话)我们想在这个特殊的囚室合个影做为纪念,原来囚室里四面都装有监视器。马上来了4个耀武扬威的警察。强行夺走了我们的相机,把相机里记录的警察打人,和我们活动资料的照片全部删除了。总之,借用他们的一句话:“到了这个,我们说了算”黑暗!黑暗!黑暗!

Blocked in Xidan Market

On Sep 24, we left the hostel very early in order to avoid police detainment. We planned to pay a petition visit to the highest authority. However, once we stepped out of the hostel, a police vehicle started to follow us and the number of police vehicles kept increasing. In the end, there were 8 police vehicles behind us. When we reached northern Changan street near the gate of Xidan Market, 4 police blocked us and asked what we were doing there. They checked our ID and it was quite obvious that they planned to take action. I turned around and noticed that there were about 10 police in each vehicle, which meant a total of 80 police in the 8 vehicles.

Xun Zhou's father lost his emotional control and cried out that we were here to look for our children. He tried to take out the posters from his bag, but more than 10 police came and grabbed his neck, twisting his arms and pulling his hair and clothes. Other parents rushed forward and they were immediately surrounded by the 80 police. Xun Zhou's father was treated like a murderer by 8 other police and locked into a vehicle for prisoners. (It was so horrible, such a scene could only be viewed in TV dramas and all the parents were terrified.) I tried to argue with the police: we have done nothing against the law and public security, why do you arrest our people? Then the police gave me Xun Zhou's father's treatment.

A police roared like a dog pulled my hair and dragged me to the vehicle. He kept saying: “you dare to question the government? Dare to blackmail the government?” We were in despair. We could only blame our fate for living in such a “harmonious society”. This is such a horrible harmony. How can the people's police be so violent to parents who lost their children? And we could not even reason with them. Upon seeing what had happened to two of us, other parents got into the vehicle by themselves. In the end, we were sent to a “temporary petitioners’ point” at the western Changan Street police station. The place was in fact a prison. We were locked with an iron door and the police confiscated our IDs.

On the wall, there were posters about regulation dealing with non-legitimate petitions. They probably expected us to learn the regulation. I met an expert petitioner who has visited the higher authorities 429 times. He was to be detained for 15 days for his stubbornness. In the site, they didn't give us any water nor food. However, there was a snack bar, and the prices for instant noodles and water were as expensive as those on the train. I really admired our people's police, they could make money out of petitioners (outside the topic). We wanted to take some photos and found that the site was monitored by CCTV. 4 police rushed in and seized my camera, deleting all photos related to this petition and the brutal actions of the police. As the police said, “What we say is the law here”. It is so damn dark!

强制扭送公安部信访处

下午,西长安街派出所派了2辆囚车把我们40个家长送到了公安部信访处。公安部信访领导一看,怎么多的人呀。让我们下车排对站好。派几个代表进去和他们谈。家长们寻子心切。都抢着要进去说自己的情况。还有一些家长原来来北京公安部上过访的,就不愿意进去。知道你们的一些程序。具说这里接访只会向下通报。不会向上通报的。进去了10个家长,还有30个家长不愿意进去。我们都走开了。决定去国家信访局,还有国务院信访。后来里面的10个家长给我打电话。说必须让我们都进去写材料。不让他们10个人出不来。我们说好了的不能丢下一个人。没有办法我回去看看。我进去了也出不来了。警察答应我,说给我们做了材料,你们才可以走。去那里都可以。我轻信了。叫他们都回来了。所有的家长都写了材料。几个信访干部随便问了问我们的情况。后来陆续来了好多的警察。写完材料,把我们统一送上了一辆大巴车。大巴车在4个警察护送下向北京的郊区驶去。大家心里都没有底。到底会送我们到那里。

Brutal transferal to the police department petition reception

In the afternoon, the Western Changan Street police station sent us to the petition reception section of the police department with two vehicles. The leader was surprised to find so many of us there. He asked us to line up and sent some representative to present the case in a meeting. Some parents were eager while others who had more experience refused to attend the meeting as the police department petition reception section would only refer the case to lower authorities rather than higher authorities. In the end, 10 parents attended the meeting. The rest refused and prepared to visit the petition reception bodies at the national and state council level. Later, the 10 parents called us to join the meeting or else they could not leave the room. As the police promised they would let us go after they finished documenting our cases, I called up the rest of the parents and asked them to return to the police petition reception section. However, after we had finished filling in the documents, we were sent to a bus which drove us to the outskirts of Beijing. We had no idea where we were heading toward.

强制扭送久敬庄接济服务中心

大巴车大概行驶了半小时,我们进了一个大院。大院的门口写着久敬庄接济服务中心,我们不知道这是个干什么的地方,我们被带到一个用铁皮做的个超级大的房子。有很多的保安。我们陆续接受安检。我的照相机也不许带进去。安检通过以后我们被分隔开来。根据身份证户籍所在地分开,我们按照保安的指路方向,进入里面的大房子。你们分布很详细,有各个省的牌子。保安吆喝着,走找到自己省的房间进去,我问,把我们带来这里做什么。保安说,所有进京上访的人最后都会来这里。不管你是正当上访还是非正当上访的。来到了这里就等你们户口所在地的政府来接你们出去。这里里面的人真多呀。估计上万人,那里有这么多的冤呀。真的希望我们的国家领导人不要去下面体察民情了,来这里是最好的地方。年长的有70多岁的老人,也有很年轻的小伙子。我们40个家长就这样按照地域分开了。我的老家是湖北的。但是我的孩子是在深圳被抢的。我就呆在了广东省的房间里。四面都是铁壁。有一个小窗户透气。墙上写着上访信访条例。我问了一个老者,他说他上访40年了,为的还是文化大革命平反的事情。还有好多的上访者都是这里的熟客了。我们在这里完全失去了自由。这里也是个惨不忍睹的地方。陆续就有尖叫声,哭喊声。原来很多的上访者,问题没有解决,不愿意出去。那些当地政府的人来了就强制性的连拉带拖的拽出去。派专人强制遣返。我亲眼看到了一个70岁的老大娘,就这样在地下被硬拖走了。据说“前不久,奥运会期间杀了一个美国人后跳楼自杀了的那个人,也是一个上访者,但是久久问题得不到解决,而且每次都会到这里来。他绝望了,他走上了极端。”这个事情我只是在这里面听说。也不知道是不是谣传。我们40余失踪孩子的家长陆续被各地的政府人员带回去了。4个小时我们家里的政府找到了我。说带我出去,我说我的事情和我们家乡的政府没有关系,我的事情是在深圳发生的,要接也该他们来接。家乡的政府给我做工作,什么事情我们出去了在说。原来这里不管这些的,只要是来到这里的人,必须是户口所在地的政府来接人。我被带到了家乡政府住京办事处。软禁在招待所。没收了我的身份证,24小时派人跟着我。等待家乡来人接我回去。在办事处禁闭了3天,家乡的居委会主任来接我。并且写好保证书。后来主任给我买了一张回深圳的火车票送我上了火车。

Forced transferral to the Jiu Jing-zhuang service center

The bus drove for half an hour and we entered a courtyard. The place was called the “Jiu Jing-zhuang service center”. We didn't know why we were there. We were put into a super large room made of steel sheets. There were a lot of security guards and we had to go through security check. We couldn't bring our cameras and were forced to be separated according to our household registration regions. We entered the room according to the security guards’ instructions, everyone of us got a province tag. I asked them why we were sent to the center. They said all petitioners would end up in the center no matter whether they were doing a legitimate or non-legitimate petition visit. They have to wait for their local government to pick them up.

There were thousands of people here and you could imagine how much injustice must be happening all around the country. I really wish that our national leaders could come here to listen to the people. This is the best place, the petitioners varied from people in their 70s to very young people. All 40 of us were divided according to our region of origin. My hometown is in Hubei, but my children were kidnapped in Shenzhen, therefore I waited in the room of Guangzhou province. All the walls are made of steel sheets and there is only a tiny ventilation window. Regulations on petition were posted around on the walls.

Here I met an old man, who had been petitioning for 40 years for vindication of the Cultural Revolution. Many of the petitioners in the center were very experienced. We lost our freedom here. The place was horrible, from time to time we heard people crying and screaming as many petitioners refused to go because their problem hadn't been dealt with. However, local government would drag them away and send them back to their hometown. I witnessed a 70 year-old lady being dragged away like that.

Some said that the person who killed an American during the Olympics was also a petitioner. He was sent here many times but his problem remained unsolved. He probably felt desperate and turned extreme. The story was a hearsay in the center and I didn't know whether it was a rumor or not.

The 40 parents were picked up by local government one by one. Within 4 hours, my hometown government found me and wanted to take me away. I told them that my problem had nothing to do with the hometown government, the kidnapping happened in Shenzhen. My hometown government people said that all petitioners were to be taken care of by their hometown government regardless of their reason. Then they took me to their Beijing office. I was detained in a hotel and my ID was confiscated. I was tailed 24 hours a day and detained in the office for three days while waiting for my hometown official to pick me up. In the end, the manager of the resident committee in my hometown came. He wrote a guarantee document and later bought me a train ticket to Shenzhen.

北京之行,令我震撼

北京过去就是皇帝住的地方,天子脚下。这次的北京之行无疑给我们上了很重要的一课。北京警察可以说是全国最辛苦的警察,到处都可以看到警察,到处是警车。所有的警察都是高度戒备的。北京对进京上访群众可是有一套很严密,很完善的截访机制。这个是我们没有想到的。我没有想到的天天电视上宣传的北京警察是多么的文明执法。我更没有想到的是,像我们这样的失踪儿童的家长,一个生活在人世间最心碎的特殊的群体,手不寸铁的百姓,没有得到北京警察的任何同情更不要说帮助,反而得到了北京警察大打出手。我不知道北京警察于心何忍呀。你们有没有想到你们的孩子丢了会是这样的心情。在次引用北京警察的一句话“你敢质问政府,你敢要挟政府。”我们什么时候质问政府了,更不要说是要挟政府了,我们是来寻求政府帮助的.我们是来恳请政府帮住我们寻找孩子的.我想说这个话的狗警察,不是父母生的,真的希望扬佳当时杀的警察就是他这样的警察.我看他也带表不了政府.打着政府的名誉,做些伤害政府的事情.所有的家长绝望了,满怀信心的来到北京,原来北京也是个没有地方讲理的地方。那里才是个真真可以讲理的地方。难道是天堂。。。。。。

I was shocked by the trip to Beijing

In the past, Beijing was where the emperor lived. The city is at the foot of the Son of Heaven. The trip to Beijing has given us an important lesson. The Beijing police are the most hardworking police in the whole country. The police vehicles are everywhere and all the police are on high alert. The Beijing authorities have a very effective mechanism to block petitions. We didn't anticipate this as the TV keeps promoting the civilized image of the Beijing police force. I couldn't imagine that Beijing police could treat this group of desperate parents who lost their children with such brutal action. Don't they have hearts? Couldn't they imagine how they could have suffered if they lost their children? Here I quote from the Beijing police: “How dare you question the government? How dare you blackmail the government?” We went there to ask for government's help and beg our government to help us to find our children, this is not questioning and far from blackmailing. The police who said so is a son of a bitch. I wish Yang Jia had killed some of such kind. I don't think such police can represent the government, he ruined the government's reputation by talking in the name of the government. All the parents are desperate. They came to Beijing with hope, but it is not a place where you can spell out your reason. Where else can we go?

18 comments

  • heiheianan

    Interesting that he managed to seperate Wen from the rest of the government (local, county, national) as if Wen were a seperate governing body by himself! Also, the man mentioned that the Beijing Police as a seperate body from the government. Does he not realize that they are one and the same?

    I would like to know why he refused to grant foreign media an interview at first. Was it because he feared repercussions for going to the dreaded foreign media, or out of some nationalism?

    The foreign media are useless, its been decades now and still we cannot come to the truth of the matter of disappeared children in places like Argentine, Chile, Brazil, Australia and Mexico, so what can we possibly do in China? The Chinese media are useless, when they aren’t being bought and sold they are lazy and incompetent, taking red packets for even simple things such as favorable restaurant reviews – and trust me, I know about this!!!!!!!!!!

    What can GVO do in the end? We all read such soul-crushing posts and yes, the world hears the voices but what of it? Maybe a benefit CD sold at Starbucks for the suffering people of _________, or another scathing report from yet another Human Rights Group? The machine is dry, creaky and old, no longer will protest work, the machine requires blood. I fear that more than tears must flow before a mediocre meaure of justice will be given to the common man.

    Basta! Our governments are feeding us our own tears!

  • JoSchmo

    I would question the validity of placing the blame for this situation on the Beijing Police, I imagine they were just following orders from higher up.

    Of course, there could be some intended sarcasm that was lost in the translation or I just plain missed.

  • As the police is at the front of direct confrontation, it is quite understandable that the parents would blame them.

    Yeah, many petitioners tend to separate the higher rank officials with the local governments, probably it is the only hope for them. they don’t have any other choice.

  • Jay

    I wish there were an organization I could donate to to help the parents find their children. But the PRC government won’t even let them organize to help themselves! In most countries these problems are successfully brought to action by the government by the media’s attention. The PRC govt is simply incapable of action because it is a dictatorship with no need to serve the people. Until this is fixed then all these other problems will not be fixed.

  • […] with silence: The plight of parents in search of their missing children. (h/t West Peavine) [Global […]

  • chan

    To JoSchmo:
    I’m sure they are following orders from higher officials. These policemen are pitiable too because they are doing this against their consciences.

  • […] a week that highlighted the obstacles facing the parents of missing children (via Danwei) in China, comes a shocking report from the Guardian about the possible fate of some […]

  • chan

    @ chan#6
    How do you know that the policemen are doing this against their consciences ?? :-)

  • chan

    cause they are human, not beasts.

  • Peteryang

    yeah, police routinely do this, I wonder how they keep their mental stress from destroying the body, this scenario reminds me of the game Metal Gear Solid 4, they need nanomachine injection for psychological relief.

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