May 12 this year marked the 16th anniversary of the Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan, China. The parents of students who perished in the earthquake still cannot freely pay their respects and mourn their children.
On Mother’s Day, May 12, over a hundred parents of students from the Dujiangyan Juyuan Middle School in Sichuan visited the collapsed teaching building site to mourn. The Dujiangyan authorities dispatched plainclothes officers and police to guard the roads and surroundings of the school site early in the morning, forming a human chain at one point to prevent parents from getting close.
Reportedly, plainclothes officers seized offerings brought by parents and police questioned and drove away suspected journalists, waving to stop parents from filming with their phones, creating a tense atmosphere. After negotiations, the authorities only allowed parents to place flowers at the site and then mourn across the street.
Parents of the deceased students expressed their sorrow, highlighting the lack of proper places to mourn. They mentioned the presence of high-rise buildings where they could only mourn on the streets each year on the most heartbreaking day. They questioned how they could not be saddened by this situation.
Zhou Xingrong, a parent of one of the deceased students, stated that the mood of the attending parents was heavy and angry. On the 16th anniversary commemoration, they wanted to honor their children at the original location of their passing, but even this wish was not granted. She expressed the frustration of parents for not being able to hold accountable those responsible for the substandard construction: “So, as parents, we are very angry.”
Sixteen years ago, Zhou Xingrong lost her only son in the 8.2-magnitude Wenchuan earthquake. Since then, she has been persistent in visiting the school site to mourn each year and has made numerous visits to Beijing and other places, seeking justice for her deceased son, but to no avail.
“My child was wrongly killed inside,” she said. Her efforts for justice led to her being forcefully sent back from Beijing by official personnel last year, deteriorating her health. She expressed dissatisfaction at being prevented from visiting other cities and felt deeply aggrieved.
Another parent, Lu Biyu, whose child perished in the earthquake, recounted being detained in a black prison for multiple visits, which worsened her health. She mentioned the exhaustion she feels now, her poor health, and the challenges of caring for her adopted son, who is 12 years old after the earthquake, hindering her ability to continue advocacy efforts.
“This commemoration is necessary, even if I am sick. I dare not imagine not going to mourn. If I don’t mourn now, I feel too guilty for the child I lost before. I must insist on going every year,” she said.
Sang Jun, a parent of students who perished at Fuxin Second Elementary School, revealed that the authorities encouraged having a second child after the earthquake, promising to cover the education and medical expenses for the second child and the medical fees of the deceased students’ parents. However, 16 years later, these promises remain unfulfilled.
Other parents of deceased students mentioned that despite their advancing age and the authorities’ refusal to acknowledge or investigate the responsibility for the substandard construction, they continue to commemorate and gather every May 12.
On May 12, 2008, at 2:28 pm, an 8.2-magnitude earthquake hit Wenchuan County, Sichuan province, which shocked both domestic and international communities. According to the report of China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs, as of 12 pm on September 25, 2008, the Wenchuan earthquake claimed the lives of 69,227 people, injured 374,643, and left 17,923 missing. However, a survey conducted by the private organization BaShu Alliance indicated that the actual death toll from the earthquake was around 300,000, with over 30,000 student fatalities, many of whom were preschool children. The local school buildings were suspected of being substandard, and the then Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao had urged thorough investigations into the issue of substandard construction, but there has been no further action to date.