This is a copy of a letter sent to the Mayor and city council members of the city of Pasadena.
全 美 中 國 學 生 學 者 自 治 聯 合 會
Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars in the US
c/o P. O. Box 15449, Washington, DC 20003, USA
www.ifcss.org Email: ifcss@ifcss-us.org
October 8, 2007
Mayor Bill Bogaard
City of Pasadena
100 N. Garfield Ave.
Pasadena, CA 91109
Rose Parade and Olympic Games do not honor human rights violations
Dear Mr. Mayor,
We are concerned about the news that the next year's Rose Parade will include a float celebrating the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. It was argued that the float represented the Olympics and not the Chinese government. However, the human rights violations and atrocities committed by the Chinese government are against both the spirit of the Olympic Games and the 2008 Rose Parade 's theme, "Passport to the World's Celebrations."
The Olympic Charter says sport must promote "a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity," but the human rights situation is far from satisfactory in China.
In particular, I would like to draw your attention to what happened in Beijing on the night of June 3-4, 1989, when People's Liberation Army entered the city to end the student-led pro-democracy demonstrations. Live ammunition was fired against unarmed civilians, and tanks rolled over the bodies of the victims, causing at least hundreds of deaths and thousands of injuries. In the aftermath of the massacre, many student leaders and their supporters were arrested, imprisoned, and some subjected to torture.
In 18 years since the Tiananmen massacre, the communist party has engaged in a relentless campaign to cover up the atrocity. The group of victims' families, known as the Tiananmen Mothers, has been under constant government suppression because of their efforts to investigate the killings. Dissidents were arrested and jailed for demanding to overturn the official verdict of the 1989 student protests or for observing the anniversary. Report on the June Fourth remains off limits for domestic media. In addition, the Chinese government has thus far denied all requests for a fair investigation of the tragedy and for compensation to the families. For those who lost their loved ones and who were injured during the June Fourth, memories of the violence have not faded away and they continue to live in injustice.
Back in 2001 when Chinese around the world celebrated Beijing's successful bid for 2008 Summer Olympic Games, this organization voiced its unpopular opinion that the decision by the International Olympic Committee was unfair to the victims and their families because the communist party never accepted any responsibility for the Tiananmen massacre. Harry Wu, a Chinese dissident who spent 19 years in prisons in China, also said he deeply regretted that China did not have "the honor and satisfaction of hosting the Olympic Games in a democratic country."
Yes the float will represent the Olympics and not the Chinese government. But the Chinese government is certainly using this event to promote itself. Among other things, the float is sanctioned by the Beijing Olympic Organizing Committee, whose president Liu Qi is also the secretary of the Beijing municipal committee of the Chinese Communist Party. Los Angeles Times reported a fundraiser for the float said the donors were greatly appreciated by Chinese government officials.
When the Beijing float goes down the Colorado Blvd on New Year's Day, some spectators will wonder what happened to that courageous young man facing down a column of tanks 19 years ago, in the very city where the Olympic celebrations will take place. It is the Chinese government who bring this issue to the City of Pasadena. And we expect elected officials to stand up with thousands of Chinese immigrants who fled their homeland to escape repression and who now live in Southern California.
I urge you to call on the Chinese government to make sincere efforts toward improving the country's human rights situation. In particular, we would highly appreciate if you could request that the Chinese authorities take serious measures to resolve the Tiananmen tragedy as a long-running human rights issue.
Founded in 1989 after the Tiananmen tragedy, the Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars in the U. S. (IFCSS) is a non-profit organization with nationwide membership. Our mission is to promote human rights, freedom and democracy in China. For more information, please visit our website at: www.ifcss.org. Email: ifcss@ifcss-us.org.
Thank you for considering our request and our best wishes.
Sincerely,
Tianhan Xue
Vice President, Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars in the US
Cell (626) 241-5289
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