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DemocracyAlertsFrom time to time, the World Movement for Democracy issues alerts concerning participants and other colleagues who are, or may be, facing personal danger due to their work on behalf of democracy and for whom a vigorous response from around the world may be critical. To see previous alerts go to www.wmd.org/democracyalerts/democracyAlerts.html. (January 30th, 2005) Tiananmen Mother Under House Arrest A founder and leader of the Tiananmen Mothers Network, Ding Zilin, was under house arrest in Beijing, China to keep her away from last Saturday's funeral of the late Zhao Ziyang, former chief of Chinese Community Party. Ding's son was killed in the bloody crackdown on unarmed protesters around Tiananmen Square in 1989, when Zhao was in power. The Tiananmen Mothers Network has played a crucial role in advancing the idea of accountability for human rights abuses in China. Founded in the aftermath of the June 4, 1989 massacre in Beijing, the network has made extraordinary efforts to establish a true picture of what happened by documenting the cases of people who were killed or wounded. It has provided moral support for the victims' families, and pursued unprecedented legal action. Ding has suffered enormous persecution for her insistence on speaking the truth and calling for an end to impunity. For more information, please go to: The World Movement for Democracy honored the Tiananmen Mothers Network, along with four other groups who have shown exceptional courage in their work for freedom and democracy, at the Second Assembly in São Paulo, Brazil, in November 2000. The more than 400 participants sent a message of solidarity and support to their fellow democrats who often struggle in near anonymity and isolation against some of the most difficult challenges to democracy and human rights around the world. For more information about the Democracy Courage Tributes at the Second Assembly, please go to: http://www.wmd.org/second_assembly/tributes.html |
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