the TianAnMen Mothers Professor Ding ZiLin's Letter on June 4

The South Korea Chapter of the Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition
Commemorates June 4; Representative of the TianAnMen Mothers Professor
Ding ZiLin's Letter on June 4


The South Korea Chapter of the Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition
Commemorates June 4

On the evening of June 3, 2008, despite heavy rain, members of the
South Korea Chapter of the Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition held
a "Commemorating June 4 Candlelight Vigil" in the Chinese church in
Seoul. During the commemoration, members held a 3-minute silence in
mourning of the 6.4 victims and the victims of the WenChuan
earthquake, in front of a display of candles made in the sign of "6.4."

Chapter member ZHENG Cai gave a speech titled "We Shall Remember 6.4
Forever"; Chapter committee member WU Jiang read a"6.4 Eulogy"; Deputy
Director DENG YunBi read the May 30, 2008 letter from representative
of the TianAnMen Mothers Professor Ding ZiLin (printed below);
Director WU ZhenRong delivered his speech titled "Why do we
commemorate June 4 every year?" The memorial service lasted for 50
minutes.

This is the 6th consecutive year of the 6.4 memorial service for the
South Korea Chapter since 2003, as well as their continuation of
democracy advocating work within the Chinese population in South Korea.
__ __ __

Letter from Professor Ding ZiLing

My dear compatriots and friends,

On this 19th anniversary I would like to thank you, on behalf of the
TianAnMen Mothers group, for your consecutive efforts in holding
annual memorial services at the same place for the past 19 years to
commemorate the deaths of the June 4 massacre in 1989. In the passing
of time, such gathering is gaining significance not only as respect
for the dead but also as hope for the future. It is not only a
demonstration of moral courage but also an expression for a consistent
conviction. I would like to thank you all for this, again on behalf of
every member of the TianAnMen Mothers.

We just went through an earthquake of extraordinary scale in our own
country where grief for the dead was universal. Such a calamity has
left on our land tens of thousands of dead again. What we find
difficult to address is that so many children were among the dead. All
those fresh lives were buried under the fallen structures. Mothers
wept for the loss of their children. All these tragedies bring out
sympathy from every kind-hearted person.

As mothers who lost their children 19 years ago, we know the pain at
the time of the calamity and from the death that came with the
calamity. Our hearts are now very fragile and are not so strong any
longer when the bad news of losing lives comes in bunches. Yesterday,
China had TianAnMen mothers. Today a new group of Sichuan Mothers came
into being. Is this the destiny of the Chinese race?

The natural calamity is horrible since it is so difficult to predict.
But the human made horrors are even more horrible since they should
not have happened. Hundreds and thousands of young men and women, and
innocent civilians died from the bullets of the "Republic's army" and
the wheels of the tanks. That was criminal. Those children of today's
tragedy could have survived. They died from the natural calamity and
human made calamity --- the tofu-type building projects.

Most of the numerous abnormal deaths are due to a sick system and a
wrong concept.


The Chinese political system protects nothing except power and money.
What are lacking in the mind of Chinese race are the respect and
concern for life, and the respect and fear of death. For thousands of
years, especially in the past more than half-century, life and human
value are not respected and are either seen as trivial as a piece of
grass or as in the hand of fate in the minds of people of all status.
People cannot forget Deng Xiaoping's tough expression of exchanging
twenty years of stability for two hundred thousand lives. After 19
years, people will still remember the cold blooded order of "positive
media coverage" while so many have died in the earthquake.

Systems and concepts are difficult to change. But the change is
inevitable. What June 4 has brought about proves that change is a
must. This earthquake proves again that the change is a must.

Today we get together to appeal to our compatriots for enhancing the
respect for life and concern and reminding people of the fear for
death. We appeal so that our system can change its nature according to
the universal value of mankind. Only with this universal value can we
have the security for every life and we will be free of the fear for
the immediate death, of ourselves or our loved ones.

Thanks you very much.

Ding Zilin
May 30, 2008

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