Outcry in Hong Kong over death of Chinese activist
- 12 years ago
ROUGH CUT (NO REPORTER NARRATION)
STORY: Several thousand people marched through Hong Kong demanding a thorough investigation into the death of the mainland dissident, Li Wangyang.
The demonstrators, mostly dressed in black, carried white flowers and photographs of Li.
Li, who was a labor activist and Chinese dissident, was jailed for 21 years after the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing.
He is said to have lost his sight and hearing because of the mistreatment he received while in jail.
He was found dead in a hospital ward in central China amidst suspicious circumstances shortly after a television interview with Hong Kong's Cable TV in which he said that he'd never regretted his fight for justice.
Protesters signed a petition calling on a full investigation into his death and paid their respects to Li in a makeshift shrine outside the China Liaison Office, the de facto Chinese embassy in Hong Kong.
"I just think it's not acceptable. That's why, I know many Chinese people would not accept this but they can't speak out, so we Hong Kong people have the duty to come and speak out.," a protester said.
Li Wangyang was found by his sister and brother-in-law on Wednesday apparently hanged by a bandage around his neck in his hospital room in Shaoyang city in Hunan province. Security and hospital authorities said that he had committed suicide.
His family, however, disputed this and said the circumstances surrounding his death were suspicious.
STORY: Several thousand people marched through Hong Kong demanding a thorough investigation into the death of the mainland dissident, Li Wangyang.
The demonstrators, mostly dressed in black, carried white flowers and photographs of Li.
Li, who was a labor activist and Chinese dissident, was jailed for 21 years after the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing.
He is said to have lost his sight and hearing because of the mistreatment he received while in jail.
He was found dead in a hospital ward in central China amidst suspicious circumstances shortly after a television interview with Hong Kong's Cable TV in which he said that he'd never regretted his fight for justice.
Protesters signed a petition calling on a full investigation into his death and paid their respects to Li in a makeshift shrine outside the China Liaison Office, the de facto Chinese embassy in Hong Kong.
"I just think it's not acceptable. That's why, I know many Chinese people would not accept this but they can't speak out, so we Hong Kong people have the duty to come and speak out.," a protester said.
Li Wangyang was found by his sister and brother-in-law on Wednesday apparently hanged by a bandage around his neck in his hospital room in Shaoyang city in Hunan province. Security and hospital authorities said that he had committed suicide.
His family, however, disputed this and said the circumstances surrounding his death were suspicious.