[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 41 (Friday, April 15, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: April 15, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
            THOUSAND ISLAND LAKE INCIDENT IN ZHEJIANG, CHINA

                                 ______


                           HON. PETER DEUTSCH

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 14, 1994

  Mr. DEUTSCH. Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw my colleagues' 
attention to the Thousand Island Lake incident which occurred in 
Zhejiang province, China, on March 31, 1994. I believe that this 
incident is of great concern to all people who place a premium on basic 
human rights and dignity.
  When 24 Taiwanese citizens were boating on Thousand Island Lake, 
their boat inexplicably caught fire. All of the passengers and six crew 
members burned to death aboard the vessel. When the boat was 
discovered, the charred corpses were rounded up and held in the boat by 
Chinese officials. No valuables, wallets, or identification were 
reported found on the bodies.
  Chinese officials refused to allow the removal or inspection of the 
bodies. In addition, it denied the requests of family members to bring 
the bodies home or have them cremated according to Taiwanese tradition. 
Subsequently, the families were informed that if they did not agree to 
this course of action they would be detained. Despite enormous 
opposition from the families of the deceased, the Chinese government 
then burned all of the bodies.
  Official inquiries about the deaths from Taipei to Beijing have gone 
unanswered. The frustrated Taiwanese Government has responded by 
announcing a total boycott of travel to China. This action, however, 
can not bring back those individuals who perished at Thousand Island 
Lake. I urge the Chinese Government to respond immediately with full 
information regarding the events that led to the boaters' deaths and 
the government's decision to burn the bodies.

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