Grief and anger
One huge issue has emerged in the aftermath of the earthquake - why did school buildings collapse, when other buildings next to them stayed standing? Put simply - did so many school children have to die?
Official figures say that more than 4,000 pupils died at school when the earthquake happened. Many of their parents are angry - they believe their children died because their schools were badly built. In recent days, we've heard of parents in many areas getting together to campaign for justice.
I've just spent a couple of days looking into the story of the Xinjian primary school in Dujiangyan. (Here's the piece I've written about it.)
This morning my colleagues and I went along to a memorial service organised by bereaved parents at the remains of the school (the parents invited reporters to attend). I've never seen anything approaching the grief I witnessed during this service - and that includes the first few days after the earthquake.
Hundreds of parents stood and cried and sobbed. Many collapsed.
The Chinese state faces huge challenges in the months ahead - it has to make sure that lakes formed by the earthquake don't burst their banks and flood cities and towns. It has to build new homes for more than five million people.
But it's possible that its biggest test may be this: how does the government address the anger of parents who believe that their children were killed not by natural disaster, but by man-made negligence and corruption?
I’m 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~05~RS~)
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you are right. those cheap buildings killed many students :(
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I believe there is a lot of corruption in the erection of the school building. We all know that in the construction business corruption is common. If this construction is for a business or a company, I think the work could be OK because many powerful people are involved in the management and supervise. But for schools because they are not profitable and can not produce money nobody really care about the quality of the construction. So even the centrol goverment built up a lot of compulsory construction code and standard, still few powerful people really care about it. The parents and teachers care but they have no power. In another words, if these building is for a business, the local governor will be very care about the quality because it is their source of money. I hate those corruptive officers. They are actually criminals.
No matter you are western reporters or Chinese reporters, or normal people should condeme this kind of things.
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Forgive or not?
TIMES China Blog also raised this issue a few days ago, I think the real answer should come from the deep heart of every parent of died pupils: choose to forgive or not.
There is no society in the world which is perfect, the corruption issue is rampant in all countries, to different level, when we face an impefect world around us, what attitude should we take? complain? rebuke? accuse? or forgive.
This question is not only asked to the parents of victims, but also everyone of us, should we hate those who did harm to us or learn to forgive?
I believe from the lessons of this disaster, many people in China are realizing there are more valuable things in our life, among which love is the biggest, love which promotes tolearance, understanding, and forgiveness, love which overcomes all barriers and hatre and unifies us together.
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If evidence showed the children's lives were lost due to corruptive officials, They should be brought to justice. We have too many corruptions in the mainland as well as in Taiwan.
Your reports in this area are very welcome. Thank you. James.
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I have to face this question with complexity. On one hand, I'm in full support of the reaction of our government in the disaster, especially Hu and Wen. I don't expect any other turmoils requiring their exertion. On the other hand, as far as my conclusion drawn from my understanding about corruption happened in some China's building projects and some exposed pictures of questonable building materials in rubbles tells, man-made corruption is very likely one of causes leading to those tragedies. I've also noticed some investigating works in connecton with suspicious toppled buildings have been launched several days after the quake. I expect an accurate and just outcome will be reached.
More importantly, it's a right time to take some tentative measures in the coming reconstruction to ensure the building quality, curb corruptions, and guide the monitoring from public into the projects. Thousands souls have perished even before their blossom, for their parents and those in concern, the loss is unrepairable. But at least, something should be done in order not to let those young lives vanished in vain.
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Nothing can explain away this sadness.
It is truly beyond anyone’s scope to imagine how devastated these Parents feel. Time itself can never heal such a loss of so much young life.
I feel so helpless and wish I could do more to help the Chinese parents and the other people, but it is such a tragedy to lose ones only child that I feel nothing ever will ease their terrible terrible loss.
God can only weep himself.
I think that I would kill myself if I was feeling the way those Parents must be feeling.
And to think this may have all been avoided if the schools had been better or correctly built.... Its unforgiveable.
I hope that the people who took the bribes to use substandard materials or cut corners in construction practices will have their own lives blighted and be punished.
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As a UK citizen of Chinese ethnicity, I offer the bereaved families my most sincere condolences.
I plea:
1. To the Chinese government-let the Chinese people and the world see a speedy delivery of justice including the punishment of the corrupted officials and contractors whom were responsible for the sub-standard buildings that contributed to the unnecessary deaths of innocent people;
2. To all the Chinese people and international friends-please redouble the effort of helping the victims immediately and the rebuilding of their lives and the communities;
3. To all the Chinese people and its government-let it become a personal responsibility to deliver what is promised. That is whatever one does, whether making goods or providing services, it will be fit for the purpose and excellent in standard. The government will provide a solid framework to lead and support the pursuit of excellence. To deliver what is promised will encompass all aspects of governing including political reforms as determined by the Chinese people.
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It is very possible that at least some of the collaped schools were corruption project. This must be addressed by China government.
Corruption is still the biggest issue in China, I think Hu central government is pretty good and clean, but the local government officials are almost all corrupted. I am sure this government will do something, and should investigate all school buildings in China.
As a Chinese, we accept fair criticisms, but never accept unfair criticisms and give in to the West on issues like Tibet, especially from those who want to "Divide and Conquer" our nation - Tibet has been, and always will be a part of China!
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This is a desperately sensitive issue in the china of today. As every chinese feels from their heart, not only have these parents lost a child, not only have they lost their only child, but many of them have lost their only chance of continuing their family line.
Negligence and corruption are too easily accused in this situation. We have to realise that china is rapidly growing out of a period of profound struggle, we cant expect its officials to follow our rules and expectations.
Officials have in the past been under great pressure to get maximum benefit in the huge school expansion program. In many cases that ment sourcing materials from local suppliers, benefiting the local 'micro' economy, rather than choosing considerably more expensive 'high quality' products which need delivery across considerable distances.
Who are these officials? Highly educated degree holding people? No, sadly not. They are people who have grown up in struggle, and have had to have tenacity to survive. Their education is what they have acheived themselves by trial and error. They did not have the educational opportunities that their children are now experiencing in a rapidly developing china.
What about the local suppliers and builders? Did they have formal training and qualifications? Nope! They too grew up in struggle, and have learnt their professions by hard graft.
Yes chinese cities are improving in quality rapidly, but lets remember that as you look at more rural areas, the skills have not yet filtered through.
This is a profound tragedy for all of china, but lets remember that nobody seriously expected the earthquake to happen. It is all too easy to point the finger in accusation, it takes real courage to learn lessons without fighting.
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James:
Anyone solving the massive disconnect between correct Beijing policy and corrupt local goverance wins Wonka's Golden Ticket. It is a headache of China's that is thousands of years old.
For example, in this terrific TIME article, the line is clearly drawn between correct action and policy via Beijing, and the helplessness of Beijing when local authorities stand in corrupt defiance:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1595235-2,00.html
Let me say this: China has an opportunity here. In the past, the government was probably more paranoid and covered more for local wrongs out of fear that any popular uprising against them would include uprising against the central party in Beijing. But today, I think the line between the good guys in Beijing and the bad guys locally is being more and more clearly understood by the Chinese people. Especially with regard to the quake, Hu and to a greater extent Wen, have been deeply supported and applauded by the Chinese people for their reactions. I think, given recent events, the central party in Beijing can rest secure in knowing that they have the full support of the united Chinese people when it comes to both separatists and natural disasters.
Thus, with this knowing security, I think the central government can and should became a little less afraid/paranoid of the implications on their own power of allowing more media coverage and transparency to be shed on the sins of local governance. With that line more fully understood, now is the time to sell the corrupt local officials down the river by whatever means possible -- facilitate media coverage, allow for public demonstrations, facilitate law suits and criminal prosecutions, etc.
I think the fears of the past that any such attack is an attack on Beijing itself is, today, at a minimum. I am a great admirer of Wen Jia Bao and I hope he would take steps such as the examples listed above to truly do everything possible to solve the local coruption problem which has plagued China for centuries.
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It is terribly sad that the children died but I think people are not going to solve anything by accusing government officials. Schools cannot be compared with office buildings because they are two different types of buildings. Schools have large classrooms and big windows and doors, this will make the overall structure weaker while office buildings often have small rooms and compact structure, that is why they usually stand up better in an earthquake although some of them collapsed too.
I do believe some local officials are corrupt and incompetant but I think that even if they are not, we will still see the school buildings fall because the architectural design and technology is not good. I think some officials will get punished to appease the angry parents, but I hope this will also make people start researching and find scientific solutions to making the schools safer. Simply punishing some officials is not enough to ensure this tragedy will not happen again in the future.
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The parents of these children deserve the world's sympathy and love. Their loss is beyond words.
What might help give their children's deaths some meaning is a widespread change to ensure school buildings have high standards with proper smoke alarms, facilities etc.
Education departments will be held acountable through public opinion and transparent news reporting to achieve these aims. Unfortunately foreign media doesn't serve this purpose because when foreign journalists highlight failures it is taken as unsympathetic criticism of China. When domestic news highlights the situation of these parents it comes across as love for countrymen.
Today's FT seems to be saying that domestic media has been asked not to cover this story
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/7c4d88c8-2fef-11dd-86cc-000077b07658,dwp_uuid=9c33700c-4c86-11da-89df-0000779e2340.html
but everyone is already aware of it and some action is inevitable.
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I have seen similar report on CCTV too and have the same feeling for the parents- the truth must be told- for the good of all the students across China.
Actually the Chinese government is having professional architects from Hongkong and other provinces to examine some of the ruins of the schools. The initial survey says the constructional design were wrong in the first place lacking of reinforcing steel bars to strengthen the building structure.
Some schools do have existed for a long time when safety is not a major concern. The education bureau approves the budget of school building but lack of expertise to pick faults from the constructional plan, or to supervise the construction.
We will wait and see the government to give a more detail result to the public soon, but most important of all is what can be done to avoid the same tragedy from happening again.
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Whoever allowed the below-standard construction (if investigation revealt that the schools were indeed below-standard) should be punished to full prosecution. Meanwhile, China should bring in new policy incentives that encourage construction that meets standard. For instance, call in the power of insurance companies by forcing all schools and the poeple inside to be insured; providing tax exemption for school construction so that spending money on school is in the economic interest of local governments. May the lost souls rest in peace.
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there may be some problem and I believe the gov will give the parents justice as well as the parents.
but you said it will be a test for Beijing. Do you really think so?
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Some of the buildings may have some problems,but that is unavoidable just because China is developping so fast.
So many fundational strctures are needed at a very short time,and there must be troubles shown on.That is not the state's fault.
Trust our Chinese.Trust our states.We are the future.
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1. 4,000 school children dead (aged between 6 to 18), compare that with total fatality of over 80,000, is that the evidence of weak school buildings? I don't think so.
2. Epic center BeiChuan, 6 top officials, 4 of them met their death, the other 2 were pulled out of rubble, so much for government buildings stronger than the school ones.
3. Death of children, sensational to write about, and it's not only you, chinese media have done just as much.
Being a young mother, I understand parents' grief, but it can be understandingly irrational at times. But for a journalist, you do not have such excuese.
Common sense: Large classrooms made buildings easy to collapse, coupled with class time. A tragic day for all.
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I think China will learn a lesson from this disaster which urge the government to concern more about the quality of the school buildings and the position choice for the school.
I have sympathy for the parents, and they have rights to condemn the government and ask for compensation. But I do not know why James paid all his attention on this thing? There are still a lot of other emergent events such as the rescue helicopter is missing now.... Maybe James only care about the negative news in China....
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i believe it is time for the government to do something about corruption at the regional levels. my heart is heavy for the families who lost their children.
it is also time to get the firing squads reading to carry out the punishments for the corrupt officials at the local levels.
china, remember, you are being watched by the world. make us overseas chinese proud of the fatherland!!!!
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Whilst there is a need for proper investigation perhaps people should be careful in rushing to judgement. Suspicions ae not proof and people are innocent until proven guilty.
In the UK we would establish an independent public inquiry chaired by a judge and with advice from experts. What is the formal mechanism in China?
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As a Chinese myself, whose hometown located fair near the epicenter, though now studying in the capital, I can still feel the deadly shock, and the shock of heart. It often wet my eyes, by simplely thinking about so many lost lives, long or short, all of which passed away undeservedly. Every drop of an innocent children, sanks my heart. While grieve never seems to be excessive, the cause of such grieve provoke my anger, perhaps more than outsiders could understand. It is undeniable that the shoddy buildings exists among those collapsed and this problem is recongized inside China, too. BUT after reading this report, after seeing the faces of so many deseperately people in the pictures, my anger is fueled, by those corrupted officials and venally construction firms. The corruption, the abusing of power, which are so ubiquitously exsited under a distorted politcal systems, can deliver some much harm to ordinary people, even mean the deprivation of lives. Hope nowdays Chinese dominant class can be really alerted and learn better to appreciate, respect, and protect its people.
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Let me also make this addition comment and tie this issue of local governance in with the Tibet issue:
To the extent that Tibetans have legitimate greivances, let me be clear, these greivances are the SAME as greivances which are legitimately raised by Chinese people all throughout China. Namely, the issue of sins against Tibetans, is predominantly a matter of local governance and NOT incorrect central policy from Beijing. Because local wrongs are prevalent throughout China, this is a China problem, not a Tibet only problem.
Simply, it is incorrect for Tibetans to point to wrongs done to Tibetans and say, Look! Cultural genocide! Oppression!!! Tibetans are Chinese citizens, the same as any other Chinese citizen, Han or Hui, or Manchu, or any one of the other 52 ethnic groups in China. They merit no special discrimination, of course, but also no special treatment either, simply due to their race.
Of course, Beijing does, in fact, give minorities numerous privileges which Han chinese do not have. But these privileges do not amount to any guarantee that Tibetans should be free of problems that the rest of China remain subject to. Tibetans, simply, demand too much when they demand rights and privileges which any other Chinese person also lack. To use those nation-wide short-comings as an argument for oppression by Beijing specifically targeted against Tibetans due to their race or culture is a complete bait-and-switch and misses the mark entirely.
It's smart, it's tricky, Westerner's buy it up wholesale because these are demands which Westerners take for granted as entitlements, but it is entirely WRONG!
China is far from perfect. Freedoms which the West take for granted are gaining steam and momentum in China, but are still not absolute. As China liberalizes more and more with the increases of economic stability, progress, and standards of living, those emphemeral rights are also sure to further improve and liberalize. As the Chinese people gain more such freedoms, Tibetans, who are also Chinese, will share in such gains as well.
As Wang in Anhui becomes more free from local corruption, so will Thondup in Lhasa. But Thondup in Lhasa has no right to demand, by force even, that he be entitled to more than Wang in Anhui, simply because he is Tibetan and his DL has the ear of the free world and can toss around phrases such as cultural genocide!!!
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Re 3:57pm (1 June 08) by Howardzzzz.
How old is this guy? what, like 12?
Its easy to say you could forgive or learn to forgive, if you had nothing lost. But thousands of them lost their ONLY child. Put yourself in perspective. Forgiveness is hard.
Justice is due.
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Friends:
Let me clarify my point.
http://www2.austincc.edu/lpatrick/his2341/fdr36acceptancespeech.htm
This is a link to a copy of a speech before the 1936 Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (6/27/1936) entitled "A Rendezvous with Destiny" as given by FDR, one of the finest American presidents of all time. America was just emerging from the Great Depression, and the necessaries of like were still not widely available to all Americans. I quote in relevant part:
An old English judge once said: "Necessitous men are not free men." Liberty requires opportunity to make a living - a living decent according to the standard of the time, a living which gives man not only enough to live by, but something to live for.
For too many of us the political equality we once had won was meaningless in the face of economic inequality. A small group had concentrated into their own hands an almost complete control over other people's property, other people's money, other people's labor - other people's lives. For too many of us life was no longer free; liberty no longer real; men could no longer follow the pursuit of happiness.
Against economic tyranny such as this, the American citizen could appeal only to the organized power of government. The collapse of 1929 showed up the despotism for what it was. The election of 1932 was the people's mandate to end it. Under that mandate it is being ended.
***
The above is exactly the reason why China must put development first and foremost before intangible democractic ("human") rights which are meaningless if citizens still lack food, shelter, clothing, a basic way to make a viable living, a way to make a better tomorrow for themselves and their offspring. It is quite a challenge in China, a nation of 1.3 billion people. The CPC must give the average Chinese citizen economic liberty, before the sexy hollywood-esque rights so demanded by those who would blindly throw their lot behind these Tibetan separatists would have the opportunity to mean anything at all! Without the CPC's stewardship of China in the past 10-15 years, there would still be the massive poverty of a China just emerging from the Cultural Revolution ... there would be ZERO rights, tangible OR empheral.
This is why all Chinese people support the CPC today. Because this is the economic foundation from which all future rights are birthed.
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I believe there are primarily two reasons for why so many schools collapsed. One is probably low budget that many of the schools have for building school buildings. The other is possible corruption. If the latter, then definitely the people involved need to be punished. If the former, however, then something is wrong with the educational fund appropriating system that needs to be corrected to avoid similar disasters to happen in the future. This, to me, probably takes more time than arresting a bunch of corrupted officials.
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The scene of the burried children and their weeping parents is really heartbreaking. We all hope that a serious investigation of the collapsed schools will be taken and those who are responsible will be punished.
At present, most people seem to point their fingures at the local officials and contractors who are accused of being corrupt and greedy.
Please note, many of the schools were built about 20 years ago when the central government launched a 9 year compulsory education program for every child. Therefore, many schools building had to be build in a hurry. Even worse, leaders high above set up the goal without providing the necessary funding for the under-developed regions and the local officials have to implement the program and meet the target whether they have the means or not.
While corruptions exist, but I don't believe it is particular worse at the lower levels and clean at the high levels based on my experience and observation. In fact, some of the local officials had to struggle to meet the goal set by the distant leaders and take blames if something goes wrong. Some of the contractors also had to financing the project and collect the money several years afteh completion of the project.
In Chinese society, one is always right and take the credit for anything good if he occupies a high enough position. If something goes wrong, it is too easy to blame the low ranking officials who had to do the dirty work.
To sum up, I fully support the parents' request for justice. But the issue is much more complicated than most people expect. Justice will not be served if only a few low ranking officials were taken as the scapegoat without addressing the root cause.
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@owenli
Justice and forgiveness are not naturally contradictory, we should encourage both, and ignore neither.
Nobody wants to live in a society full of hatre, anger and lack of forgiveness and tolerance.
In today's world, people knows much more about fighting for his own rights and intersts, than forgiving others, which makes our world worse, not better.
You are right that it is hard for us to forgive. Only in our Lord Jesus Christ, who forgives all our sins, we know how to do it.
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Is it possible to build a house that can withstand one major earthquake and then hour after hour, day after day of severe aftershocks?
James, please try to be a real journalist with intelligent stories instead of copying and pasting.
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James:
I have to agreed with your remarks...
--Dennis Junior--
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