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Nectar Gan

A meeting between more than 100 relatives of victims of the Yangtze River ship disaster and local officials ended in chaos after the families' requests regarding funeral arrangements were rejected.
One woman, trembling in rage, was carried from the venue after a shouting match with an official giving the update.
The families, all from Nanjing in Jiangsu province, want the government to hand over the bodies and provide assistance in making funeral arrangements.
They also said a memorial should be erected where the Eastern Star capsized in bad weather on Monday night, or in Nanjing, its port of origin.
If this is all you can talk about, it’s better you don’t speak at all
RELATIVE OF VICTIM, TO A NANJING CIVIL AFFAIRS BUREAU OFFICIAL
The meeting was the third time the relatives met city officials who had travelled to Jianli county to help coordinate the response effort to the accident, which claimed over 400 lives. Many of the victims were elderly.
The meeting was led by the deputy chief of the Nanjing Civil Affairs Bureau, Zhao Jun , in a local government conference hall. The family members want the government to make an exception to the law and allow them to take the bodies back to their ancestral hometowns.
But Zhao said the central government had a unified arrangement for the bodies, which was to cremate them in Jianli. The relatives have asked the city government to provide cemetery places, saying they had already taken a week off work and had little time to make the arrangements themselves. But Zhao said some families had already reserved burial plots given the relatives were elderly.
Nor could the municipal government authorise any memorial site because it would require special approval from the central government.
Only one request was approved with the help of the county government, which was for the families to visit the riverside behind layers of police lines to perform religious rituals on t ouqi, or the seventh day after death. However, they must do it far from the recovery site and just a small number would be allowed in at one time.
When asked by a family member to explain further, Zhao stuck to his previous line about obeying regulations and state policies.
"If this is all you can talk about, it's better you don't speak at all!" one family member shouted from the seats.
"I haven't finished talking yet … If you want to [speak], than you speak, I won't talk anymore," Zhao said, throwing up his hands.
His remark enraged the audience. "What kind of attitude is that?" one relative said.
Another woman shouted: "What kind of person are you? The Jianli government has treated us well! What have you done?
"You should apologise to all of us for what you just said!" the woman continued. Other relatives agreed.
Zhao tried to explain himself, but the woman began to cry and shake violently. Zhao made his way to her and tried to talk to her, but she refused to hear him. She was carried out of the room accompanied by other relatives, and the meeting ended in discord.
Deputy Mayor Hu Wanjin met the families on Thursday after they pressed the Jianli county government for help. Their second meeting was held on Friday after dozens had gathered outside a press conference.
They reached an agreement with Hu on Friday to meet Nanjing officials daily to learn about the latest developments in the recovery effort and arrangements for the bodies. Many family members have complained of a lack of timely information from the government.
It is not known whether any more meetings will be held after yesterday's meeting went out of control.


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Two women cry at a meeting with officials in Jianli county. Photo: Simon Song. 

Disaster response workers inspect the ship. Photo: EPA

Relatives burn offerings near the scene of the accident. Photo: EPA

News

China

People & Culture

Relatives of ferry disaster victims fail to win official cooperation over funeral arrangements


A meeting between more than 100 relatives of victims of the Yangtze River ship disaster and local officials ended in chaos after the families' requests regarding funeral arrangements were rejected.
