Low-key ceremony as Zhao Ziyang, who opposed Tiananmen crackdown, finally laid to rest
- Ashes of former leader and his wife, Liang Boqi, buried in cemetery on outskirts of Beijing after protracted negotiations between family and the party
- He was ousted for sympathising with pro-democracy protesters in 1989 and spent the rest of his life under virtual house arrest until he died in 2005
Zhao Ziyang, who sympathised with the student-led Tiananmen democracy movement three decades ago, was finally laid to rest on the outskirts of Beijing on Friday – 14 years after his death.
The interment of ashes of the former general secretary of the Communist Party and his wife, Liang Boqi, took place a day after the 100th anniversary of Zhao’s birth. There was no official commemoration of the anniversary.
The bloody military crackdown on the Tiananmen protesters on June 4, 1989 – in which hundreds or possibly more civilians were killed – remains a taboo subject in any public discussion in mainland China.
“We feel relieved that our parents can finally rest in peace,” said Zhao’s daughter Wang Yannan. “But we also feel regret that it took such a long time and back and forth discussion with the authorities. It still feels surreal that this day has finally come.
