On Sunday afternoon at two, the Chinese community will bury three of its own. The number is three because on Monday one more victim was added to the community's death toll. 14 year old Hui Sheng CHEN who was shot two weeks ago on March 25th. in Dangriga. At the time, police reported that the student he was shot to the thigh in a robbery attempt of his family store. But, it turns out he was shot to the back, and received massive internal injuries. It was a serious injury and even with 7 surgeries in 9 days, complications developed. The teenager was taken to the KHMH, and later transferred to Healthcare Partners and then flown to Merida City in Mexico. But, during a final surgery, he succumbed to his injury on Tuesday and is now going to be included in Sunday's funeral along with the victims of Saturday's murder spree Fei Lan Wu and Yan Ying Chen.
The mass funeral will be held in the city at two on Sunday tentatively at Scott's Kirk church on Regent Street, but that may not be large enough.
President of the Belize Chinese Association Edmund Quan discussed the funeral this evening at our studios:
Jules Vasquez
"You all are having three funerals in one?"
Edmund Quan, Belize Chinese Association
"It's sad to say that it's going to be the situation. We will have both female and the young man from Dangriga that pass away on Tuesday night. We are going to have funeral for the three of them together.".
Jules Vasquez
"Now, it's not an exclusive Chinese event? Everyone who feels a way about it is invited to participate?"
Edmund Quan, Belize Chinese Association
"Definitely and I would like to invite anybody for them to come out and pay their respect to the three decease. Everyone is welcome and we want to do this the right way - the peaceful way and the correct way."
Jules Vasquez
"Are you concern having such a large crowd, having so much emotions because its three burials in one. Or are you concern it may trigger off something?"
Edmund Quan, Belize Chinese Association
"We are concern. We do discuss this issue and we will ask for security measures from the police department."
It has not been confirmed if there will be a funeral procession because the bodies will be cremated. And today Quan and his friend Eric Chang also discussed the charges made against the association by Belizeans for Justice. That organization sent out a release yesterday saying they were ignored and dismissed when they went to the Chinese Association's post demonstration meeting asking to see Eric Chang. The BFJ took this as a rejection, but today Eric Chang - who is no longer an executive member - told us that it was nothing intentional:.
Jules Vasquez
"Ms. Joan Sutherland went there to try and see you. Were you aware that she was trying to see you? Were you deliberately ignoring her? What was the status?"
Eric Chang, Councillor
"Well it wasn't my decision. I don't know who was out there. A Chinese guy came to us and says that somebody wants to talk to you guys. We had decided not to invite any media; it was a closed door meeting for the Chinese members only. So we didn't know who was out there."
Edmund Quan, Belize Chinese Association
"Everybody was welcome for the parade and the protest. We did not discourage anybody from parading, we did not discourage anybody from protesting, but as Eric just stated the meeting was a private BCA meeting. No media, only members were allowed in the meeting, I was notified by the so called "Jackie" that someone was out there. Apparently I was in the meeting, I was the host of the meeting - I cannot leave and also I did receive a call from Ms. Sutherland, but then the thing is - I told her and all that she was that if we were going to return to Battlefield Park and I told her that we were not going again due to certain reasons, I told her that we were in meeting and that I cannot discuss further with you because it is a disrespect to the people that is listening while I was on the phone. I am grass roots Belizean, I was born here, I was grown here and I don't think that we are seclusive of other entities or other associations; we keep our association as neutral as possible."
Chang resigned from the Association executive when he was elected to the city council. He says he hopes no one is trying to make politics out of the demonstration..
