‘Cremation fear led seniors to take own lives’
Print Edition
ELDERLY villagers in east China’s Anhui Province reportedly took their own lives this month before a new policy is introduced making cremation compulsory.
According to traditional Chinese beliefs, a deceased person’s body must be buried intact in the ground for the soul to rest in peace.
Where burial grounds are numerous they are said to hinder the mechanization of farming. As part of a nationwide campaign, Anqing City government has ruled that from June bodies must be cremated.
However, the Oriental Morning Post reported that at least two seniors could not countenance this, so committed suicide this month to ensure that their remains would be buried.
This claim was denied by civil affairs officials in Anhui.
The newspaper reported that 97-year-old Wu Xiuli of Zongyang County was shocked to learn from his barber about the change of policy and was determined to be buried.
In mid-April, he started taking just one meal per day, gradually cutting down even that and refusing to eat anything at all from early May. He died on May 12.
“Everyone in our family tried to get him to eat,” his son Wu Qisu said. “His favorite grandson came back here to try to persuade him, but we all failed.
“It was agony seeing him torturing himself in this way,” added Wu Qisu.
Wu Qisu said his father was the oldest person in Jinshe Town and could have enjoyed more years as his health was good.
Fellow Zongyang County resident Zhang Wenying, 81, hanged herself from a tree on May 13.
Her family said her only health problem was high blood pressure.
Provincial civil affairs officials in Anhui yesterday rejected any link between the deaths and the reform, the Legal Evening News reported.
An official questioned “whether there are some people who want to take advantage of the deaths to discredit the policy,” adding that the controversial move will go ahead as planned.
He also rejected claims in the Oriental Morning Post that township officials went to villagers’ homes to forcibly dismantle coffins that had already been made for elderly family members.
“The fact is that the coffins are of no use since we are promoting this reform. The government is encouraging people to hand over coffins and promises to give between 800 yuan (US$127) and 1500 yuan,” he said.
The official admitted that it was not easy to change some traditional views.
He called for more support from the media on the issue and more understanding from the public.
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