Dead mayor's family visit Beijing for help
- Source: Global Times
- [05:08 January 07 2010]
- Comments
By Wen Tao
Relatives of a deputy mayor from Hunan Province, whose death was ruled a suicide in November, were on their way back home with a police escort Wednesday after they came to Beijing in an effort to request the death report be revised.
Yang Kuansheng, 47, was a deputy mayor of Wugang when he was found dead near his apartment inside a government dormitory building on November 26, just before he was expected to be promoted to the city chief.
The official autopsy said that he committed suicide. He first slashed one of his arteries on his wrist, then electrocuted himself, and finally jumped out of his dormitory balcony to his death.
Local authorities said the determination was "dead right" and would "survive any inspections in the future."
But Yang's families, especially Liu Yuehong, widow of the late official, claimed that many loopholes were found in the official report.
The death drew public attentions nationwide.
Some experts also expressed reservations about the report's credibility.
Zhuo Xiaoqin, a professor at the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, said the report did not include the data of blood loss, an important indicator to judge whether the official was strong enough to jump on his own.
However, Zhuo said a homicide could not be ruled out under the circumstances, noting that Yang's wounds described in the autopsy report usually come from a homicide, the Beijing Youth Daily reported Wednesday.
Liu Liang, a professor of China University of Political Science and Law, and an expert on judicial appraisal, also said the report failed to give an explanation about how the wounds were made, according to the same newspaper.
The families repeatedly tried to revoke the report and appealed for a new investigation into the death prior to their trip to Beijing earlier this week.
However, police officers from Hunan, with the help of their Beijing counterparts, allegedly restricted the family's actions in Beijing and temporarily confined Liu and Lü Kaihua, Yang's brother-in-law, and Luo Qian, Yang's former student at hotel rooms during their stay in Beijing, Yang's family told the Global Times.
Wednesday evening, Lü informed the Global Times via a text message that they were taken to the Beijing Western Railway Station, where they boarded a train for Hunan Province.
"There were several plainclothes officers watching us closely," the message said, noting that the government paid for the tickets and other costs.
In a brief conversation on the phone with family members, Liu told the Global Times Wednesday they have not decided about whether to return to the capital again.
Teng Biao, the family's lawyer, said he submitted a request to the Ministry of Public Security last week to reopen the investigation, but received no reply yet.
The Hunan and Beijing police could not be reached for comment Wednesday.
