Family of beaten Chinese tourist waiting for her safe return

Though trying hard to live and behave as usual before reporters, Liu Weimin, 67, could hardly hold back her tears. As the mother of the Chinese woman tourist Zhao Yan who was beaten in the United States last week, Liu has been missing and worrying about her daughter for days in her home in north China's Tianjin city.

"My heart ached as I saw her on TV," said Liu. "How could they do this to a helpless woman like her?"

Members of the family hid newspapers with reports on Zhao's assault to protect her mother from the news. Liu saw Zhao on TV, though, and knew about the incident.

Zhao and two other women were crossing the Rainbow Bridge over Niagara Falls on the US-Canada border late last Wednesday when Customs and Border Protection officers pepper sprayed and beat her, erroneously suspecting her of being a marijuana smuggler.

Liu said she could never imagine her daughter's first trip to the United States would be like this. "Zhao had been to numerous countries before," recalled Liu. "I thought it is just like anytime in the past."

Zhao Zhe, the elder brother of Zhao Yan, also voiced his resent and indignation. "Those held responsible for the incident must receive legal penalty. We hope the case will be over as soon as possible."

In the eyes of relatives, Zhao is a bright, capable and compassionate woman who takes good care of her family.

"She is outgoing, she is warm-hearted. She likes to sing," said Zhao Guifen, cousin of Zhao Yan. "We all like her."

"They say the United States is a free country with the best record of human rights, and even a kid who gets slapped by parents would know to call police," said Zhao. "How could this happen to my cousin?"

At the Tianjin Zhaomiao Industrial and Trade Co, ltd, where Zhao is employed, colleagues are concerned about her.

Cai Zhiping, the director of the board of the company, told reporters that the company sent Zhao to the U.S. to prepare for a lumber fair. Because of air ticket problems, the company suggested she take a trip to the Falls.

"We are very concerned about her safety now," said Cai.

Zhao's case has been a hot topic domestically. Zhao's relatives, friends, even unknown residents, all joined the discussion on the case on the Internet. They tied yellow ribbons on trees, waiting for her to come home.

"Though it's only a single case in the United States, it's of historical and cultural significance," said Prof. Li Jianming with prestigious Nankai University and chairman of the Sino-American History Research Association.

Prof. Li acknowledged Zhao's case showed that racism is still an underground stream in the United States. The officer didn't try to confirm Zhao's identity of first, but instead focused subconsciously on her racial features, Li added.

He also noted that Zhao's case indicated a dilemma of the United States in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. "Intervening in human rights and freedom for the sake of safety concern has been an obvious trend in American society today," Li said. "Ethnic minority races become the first to be affected."

Zhao plans to sue the officer who beat her in US court for 5 million US dollars in compensation.

The Chinese government is very concerned about the case. And Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing has urged the United States to carry out an conscientious and thorough investigation into the incident.

Source: Xinhua