China detains and beats mourners for Zhao Ziyang
{{byline|date=January 27, 2005|location=BEIJING, China}}
The [[w:People's Republic of China|People's Republic of China]] intensified security to prevent mourners attending funeral in [[w:Beijing|Beijing]] for [[w:Zhao Ziyang|Zhao Ziyang]]. Mr. Zhao was the former [[w:Communist Party|Communist Party]] secretary general who was purged for opposing the 1989 military crackdown on the [[w:Tiananmen|Tiananmen Square student movement]]. He died two weeks ago at age 85, having spent the last fifteen years of his life under house arrest. 
According to  a story released by the [[w:Agence France-Presse|Agence France-Presse]] anonymous witnesses said the government detained several people in Beijing. They claim some of these people were severely beaten.
 
A man who preferred to be anonymous said: "A man from Henan province was beaten badly. His left eyeball looked like it was beaten out of its socket and he had a one inch cut to his right eye. An elderly woman from Shandong province was beaten to a point where she couldn't move and a man from Hunan province was also beaten."

According to the witness the police argued Zhao was a political criminal. They said:"Why are you commemorating him? You're clearly opposing the government."

The government of China has already received criticism for what some feel to be intimidation of activists and other anti-democratic acts like censorship [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3548035.stm], 

==See also==

* [[Zhao Ziyang's funeral scheduled for Saturday]]
* [[15,000 attended memorial for Zhao Ziyang]]
* [[Purged Chinese leader Zhao Ziyang dies at 85]]

== Sources ==
*{{source|url=http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20050127/wl_afp/chinatiananmenpoliticspetitioners_050127114011
|pub=AFP
|author=
|title=China rounds up, beats mourners for deposed leader Zhao: witnesses
|date=January 27, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://journalism.berkeley.edu/projects/chinadn/en/
|pub=China Digital News
|author=Xiao Qiang
|title=AFP AND DPA: Police detain, severely beat Zhao Ziyang mourners
|date= }}
*{{source|url=http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/2005/01/28/2003221221
|pub=Taipei Times
|author=
|title=Police detain, severely beat Zhao Ziyang mourners
|date=January 29, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://www.rfa.org/english/news/2005/01/26/china_zhao/
|pub=RFA
|author=
|title=China Beats, Arrests Zhao Mourners Amid Stalemate Over Funeral
|date=January 26, 2005}}
*{{source|url=http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050129/ap_on_re_as/china_zhao_ziyang_8
|pub=AFP
|author=Joe McDonald
|title=China Keeps Dissidents Away From Memorial
|date=January 29, 2005}}

== Related external links ==
*{{source|url=http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/01/29/china7123.htm
|pub=Human Rights Watch
|author=
|title=China:Briefing to the 60th Session of the UN Commission on Human Right
|date=January, 2004
}}
*{{source|url=http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/asia/china-bck-0701.htm
|pub=Human Rights Watch
|author=
|title=Freedom of Expression and the Internet in China|date= 2004
}}
*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2946526.stm
|pub=BBC
|author=
|title=China jails web dissidents|date=May 29, 2003}}
*{{source|url=http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/china/scholars/t15/
|pub=Human Rights Watch
|author=
|title=Tiananmen, 15 Years On-Where Are Some of the “Most Wanted” Participants Today?
|date= June 4, 2004}}
*{{source|url=http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/06/03/china8732.htm
|pub=Human Rights Watch
|author=
|title=China: Stifling the Memory of Tiananmen
|date= June 4, 2004}}

 
{{archive}}

[[Category:China]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:Published]]
[[Category:Asia]]
[[Category:Beijing]]
The People's Republic of China intensified security to prevent mourners attending funeral in Beijing for Zhao Ziyang. Mr. Zhao was the former Communist Party secretary general who was purged for opposing the 1989 military crackdown on the Tiananmen Square student movement. He died two weeks ago at age 85, having spent the last fifteen years of his life under house arrest. 
According to  a story released by the Agence France-Presse anonymous witnesses said the government detained several people in Beijing. They claim some of these people were severely beaten.
 
A man who preferred to be anonymous said: "A man from Henan province was beaten badly. His left eyeball looked like it was beaten out of its socket and he had a one inch cut to his right eye. An elderly woman from Shandong province was beaten to a point where she couldn't move and a man from Hunan province was also beaten."

According to the witness the police argued Zhao was a political criminal. They said:"Why are you commemorating him? You're clearly opposing the government."

The government of China has already received criticism for what some feel to be intimidation of activists and other anti-democratic acts like censorship ,
China Politics and conflicts Published Asia Beijing