The Case of Dai Haijing 

Why do students demonstrate in China?  First of all, please remember that high school student demonstrations do not happen that frequently and so there must be something extraordinary.
 

 


 

Banner: "So many doubts!  Where is justice?"
 
Here is the translation of the students' open letter to the public (Beijing News via 6Park)

On August 18, when we heard the bad news that our teacher has committed suicide, we could not believe that such a bright person would be so stupid as to kill herself.  As a university graduate in English, how could she be so psychologically feeble?  On the day before she died, she told us that she will be giving us dictation the next day.  She is a reliable person, so why would she lie to us?  She told us that life is like a coin, and we should see the good side instead of being stuck under the dark skies all the time!  ... So how could she have killed herself?  She has a son who is only two or three years old, so how could she abandon him alone in the world!  Does she not know that a motherless child is lonely and helpless??

The incident took place two days ago.  Why has law enforcement refused to investigate?  Why is the legal doctor late?  Why are the people's guide -- the media -- also late?  We don't understand!  In a society under the rule of law, something infuriatingly unjust has happened!  Our rights become so pale and powerless in the face of money!

Here is a summary of our doubts:

1. Before the day of the incident, our teacher asked us to memorize the nouns because she was going to give us dictation the next day.  She patted the head of one student and smilingly "warned" him that he better memorize the nouns.  How could a suicidal person tell such a joke so light-heartedly?

2. If she wanted to kill herself, would she be wearing only her underwear??!  Our teacher is a pretty woman who wants to look well.  Would she want to die in such indignity?

3. The teacher's child is so young and she loves him so much.  Would she abandon him?!  Besides, a suicidal person should have made some arrangements beforehand.  But our teacher did nothing ...

4. Afterwards, we read the teacher's diary.  She wrote that she will not rely on others.  She will only rely on herself and she write that she will be strong.  She wrote that she is a mother and she is the world to her son.  Motherly love is so great!  Would she give up life so easily and abandon her young child?

5. When we saw the body of our teacher, she had bruises everywhere.  Although her limbs were intact, her cranium was burst open.  She died a horrible death.

6. Our teacher told us that the High School Third Year Class teachers work very hard.  She said that she will not be satisfied if we get into the universities.  So why would she choose suicide?

7. The law enforcement department refuses to intervene in this matter.  Justice is so pale and powerless in front of money.  How will the people ever trust the government again?

Therefore, we ask all righteous people to extend your righteous hands to give justice to our teacher!  This is on behalf of all the teachers under the heavens!  May our teacher rest in peace!

The entire class of students of the Third Year Class, Rui'an Number Three High School, Zhejiang province, China

You may say that this is a ho-hum matter that will not get anywhere.  Ah, but you forgetting the power of the Internet to strike emotionally!  How so?  Read the above and see which of the seven points has the most potential of being emotionally overwhelming?  There is nothing more from the child.  So that leaves the manner of death (number 2 and number 5).  So here is the famous (WARNING: GORY) photograph that has been going around the Internet.  While it violates the preference of the teacher (according to number 2), this may be the most direct way of seeing justice served.


This is the police investigation report:

女教师坠楼事件调查结果: 抑郁症引发跳楼自杀


2006-9-7 21:08:47 来源:瑞安新闻网 新闻点击数:1121


   9月5日,温州市公安局刑事科学研究所作出的尸检报告。6日,瑞安警方将尸检情况告知戴海静家属。

  “戴海静系精神抑郁症发作,引发夜间跳楼自杀。”——倍受瞩目的“8.18”女教师戴海静坠楼身亡事件,经过浙江省、温州市、瑞安市三级公安机关的联合调查,终于真相大白。

一、尸体与现场告诉我们什么?

  尸体解剖鉴定:戴海静系生前高空坠落死亡

  昨日,记者在瑞安市公安局见到一尺厚的一大摞调查卷宗。“为了查明真相,我们调查组50多个民警夜以继日,很多民警已经半个月没回家了。”一位调查组的负责人叹苦道。

  据统计,在整个过程中调查组共走访了相关人员300余人,制作谈话笔录100多份,及相关的鉴定结论。
在调查过程中,警方先后5次邀请人大、政协、以及教育部门、当地党政官员、死者所在学校的师生、死者家属等人员,召开分析和征求意见会,通报调查进展,并接受监督。

 “这是史无前例的,对以后警方的工作如何适应社会发展,做到更加透明公开,会有很好的借鉴意义。”这位负责人如此回顾。

  一份由温州市公安局刑事科学研究所作出的尸检报告,详细描述了法医专家们的检验情况。

  经法医专家们检验分析,死者戴海静系生前高坠致严重颅脑损伤而死亡。

  据了解,判断生前还是死后坠楼,法医学上重要的判断依据之一是尸体损伤部位是否有“生活反应”,例如死后坠楼形成的擦伤面应该是蜡黄色或者苍白色。但是,尸体检验发现,戴海静坠搂过程中形成的擦伤面却呈现暗红色,符合生前坠搂的特征。

  法医专家们根据尸体的一些现象,综合分析得出了结论。“也就是说,戴从楼上掉下来时,人肯定是活的,可以排除死后坠落的可能。”参与调查的一位法医这么解释。

  但是,记者注意到,网上一篇以戴海静学生的名义发出的“冤比窦娥,八月飘雪---我们的老师就这样走了吗?”的帖子,提出疑点:“她的身上到处都是淤青,但是身体四肢健在。”一些网友说,如果坠楼时是活的,而且是头部着地,她应该会本能地用手挡一下呢,手臂肯定会骨折。

  “手臂确实有骨折,只是旁观的人没看出来。”法医专家们通过解剖发现,戴海静尸体的左手臂、左脚背均有骨折。

  那么掉下来之前会不会有被打晕、中毒、掐晕的可能呢?

  法医们通过尸体检验和毒化检验,没有发现其他可致死者死前丧失意识失去行为能力的附加手段。也就是说,坠搂是造成戴海静死亡的原因,而坠搂之前,她并没有窒息、昏迷、中毒等散失意识和行为能力的现象。
根据警方的现场勘察,戴海静坠搂后,穿着吊带和短裤睡衣。尸体距离办公楼墙壁为1.5米,而不是外界传说的15米之远。

  细心的技术人员在办公楼二楼窗外的遮雨台,发现了混凝土新鲜剥落的痕迹。在混凝土新鲜剥落的地方及周围,技术人员提取了可疑人体皮屑和毛发,后经DNA比对,证实属于死者戴海静。



  根据戴海静尸体上损伤部位、形态,结合现场勘查及DNA检验,法医专家们“重现”了其坠落过程:死者首先从主楼五楼客厅南首东侧窗口坠落,接着头部左侧、左上臂内侧与二楼遮雨台墙壁外侧擦碰,而后头部朝下撞击一楼花坛外侧墙壁花岗岩面上,同时身体背侧与冬青枝条刮擦,最后身体反弹、旋转导致死者头南脚北仰卧在水泥地面上。

  一位没有参加尸体解剖的法医专家表示,如果是跳楼,其身体首先着地的部位与起跳的初速度、角度以及距离地面的高度有关。“从理论上讲,头部着地是有可能的,而且坠搂的环境往往比较复杂,身体如果与阳台、遮雨蓬等障碍物发生碰擦,也会改变坠落的姿态,在现实中也有不少跳楼自杀头部着地的案例。”

  现场勘验和调查结果:排除戴海静死前遭受暴力

  记者听了110指挥中心的报警电话录音。8月18日5时12分,有人报警称:“有人跳楼了,一下子认不出是谁,应该从四、五楼跳下来,已经死了,你们快点过来”。 

  5时14分,塘下派出所值班民警带领相关人员出警,民警到达现场后即组织协警和保安对尸体所在现场进行保护,同时开展现场访问工作。确认死者身份后,民警一边赶赴五楼宿舍保护室内现场,一边报告110指挥中心,请求市局刑侦部门派员勘查现场。

  “虽然有死者家属此前到五楼卧室拿过被子和衣服来遮盖尸体,但现场还是较为完整,没有发现人为清洗、擦拭和蓄意破坏的迹象,警方还在现场提取了重要的痕迹物证。”调查组一位负责人对记者表示。
网络上曾经有质疑——“她的身上到处都是淤青”。尸检过程中,也发现死者有多处软组织擦挫伤,那么死者死前是不是遭受过暴力呢?

  针对疑问,法医专家们的分析是,戴海静在坠落过程中,经历了多次擦、撞、刮,再结合病理检验,除左侧大腿有一小点陈旧性“淤青”,至少形成于死前24小时以上,其余身上的“淤青”等机械性损伤,都可以在本次坠落过程中形成。

  尸体冰冻后,发现了死者脖子上出现2处浅色“斑点”,也就是网络上盛传的所谓“掐痕”,一些网友由此怀疑戴海静是被掐死后扔下的。

  针对这一疑点,法医对该部位进行了重点解剖,并将该部位皮肤送到有关鉴定机构进行病理检验,没有发现皮肤损伤。警方还向记者出示了事发当天上午,在现场进行尸体表面检验时所拍下的尸体颈部照片,并没有看到所谓的“掐痕”。

  那么这个“斑点”到底是哪里来的呢?法医进一步检验确定“斑点”是死者颈部皮下浅层脂肪和锁骨内侧端颈肌附着处出血,透过冰冻后的皮肤,映射出来的。法医专家们经过综合分析,一致认定,这是由于戴海静在高楼坠落、头部碰撞过程中,颈部肌肉受到震荡牵拉、胸腹腔压力增高导致毛细血管破裂出血所致,完全排除是“掐痕”。

  与此同时,由浙江省公安厅、温州市公安局派出的痕迹物证专家和瑞安警方技术人员组成的痕迹物证组,对现场勘查发现的痕迹物证分析情况也有了结果。

  专家们认为,从现场勘查情况看,五楼死者夫妇居室内物品的摆放和状态均比较正常,没有发现搏斗、清洗过的痕迹与其他异常的情况。

  为了进一步佐证事发前晚,戴海静是否与他人发生扭打?法医还提取了死者的指甲垢进行DNA检验,结果未检出他人的人体组织细胞。“一般来说,死者生前如果与他人发生搏斗、扭打,她的指甲缝里极易遗留对方的人体组织细胞。”法医这么说。

  一个大活人掉下来,会不会有监控资料或目击证人呢?

  去年该公司曾在里里外外安装了16个监控探头,其中一个探头正对着坠楼现场处。也就是说,原本那天晚上发生了什么,也就会被记录下来。然而警方调查发现,这些监控设备除了去年10月份调试期间试用过,后再没有投入使用,形同虚设,因此没有拍下监控录象。

  另外,警方对事发当晚,对群英公司内的住户、保安、工人、清洁工以及周边住户、店主、过路群众进行了大量的访问,均没有发现事发当晚有异常声响。

  为了避免遗漏,警方又选择晚11时到次日凌晨5时,到现场周边进行“同时间访问”,也没有发现可疑情况。

  “至于网络上传言,有人当晚听到‘救命’、‘争吵’、‘打斗’的声音,还有说8月18日凌晨1、2点钟,死者丈夫谢某曾打过电话与朋友商量,我们经过多方调查核实,结果发现网络上的传言纯属子虚乌有,凭空捏造”。事件调查组的一位负责人对记者说。

                 二、 日记背后的戴海静

  戴海静自称“抑郁症复发了”

  那么她到底有没有得抑郁症,如果有的话,那么她的死与这种情绪病症又有多大关系?

  警方在死者家中调查发现,其卧室床头的垃圾桶里找到一个“复方枣仁胶囊”的药盒,此药有治疗心神不安、失眠、多梦、惊悸的功效,盒子上面留有戴的指纹。

  戴海静坠楼后,当她的同事、学生将她描绘为一个“性格开朗、乐观”的人,并通过媒体、网络广泛传播时。她的几位生前密友,则悄悄提供了一条线索:戴海静曾经向她们提起,自己得了抑郁症,正在吃药。

  戴海静生前密友的线索,也从她丈夫谢某口中得到一些印证。谢某在接受记者采访时,曾说2000年的时候,妻子因患有抑郁症曾去医院治疗过。

  警方在温州医学院附属第二医院的电脑记录中,查到了戴海静的就医处方,显示:2000年9月7日,戴海静曾到该院精神科门诊看病。电脑记录显示,医生当时给她开出了一系列的精神类药品。

  不久,戴在金华的男友,向警方提供了一条重要线索:今年7月16日,戴海静曾给他发了短信说:“我抑郁症复发了”。

  警方证实的其最近一次医院精神科就医,是在2006年7月26日。

  而一个星期之前,也就是2006年7月19日上午,戴海静曾经打电话给她的一位亲戚,说自己精神不好,经常失眠,就自己的感情、家庭、经济问题与他倾诉。

  医院电脑记载,2006年7月26日,戴海静到温州医学院附属第一医院神经内科门诊就医。医生开出了治疗精神抑郁症的药品。

  此后,她又多次向其同学提起,自己有抑郁症,正在吃药的事情。

  9月4日,温州司法鉴定中心根据戴海静日记、就医记录以及相关知情人笔录作出精神病鉴定:戴海静患有情感障碍—抑郁症,死亡前有加重的趋向。

  抑郁症会不会引发戴突然产生自杀的冲动?温州医学院心理系主任何教授说,抑郁症是一种情绪病症,主要特征为显著的心境低落。患者会有痛苦的内心体验,旁人是无法体会的,无法想像的。而患者担心别人说闲话,又往往极力掩饰自己的病症。

  何教授说,得此病的原因有两种:一是受外界刺激,二是本身的性格、基因的问题。患者会感到绝望,觉得前途暗淡。一些严重的患者常常会认为死是幸福的,是一种解脱。因此,该病症的人自杀比例较高。

  “两个”窘异的戴海静

  在同事、学生面前,她是个温文尔雅、性格开朗的老师。她的同事王老师说,海静这个人时尚、赶潮流,人长得漂亮爱打扮。她在讲话时比较单纯,心直口快。

  但是,对于戴的性格,朋友对她的评价是:自尊心强、好面子,有些固执。当她用自己的积蓄买了自备车后,在同事朋友面前却说是“老公给买的”。

  “表面上看海静很快乐,看不出有什么忧伤,她伪装地很好。”记者注意到,她一个同学这样用“伪装”来描绘戴海静的心态。

  记者在采访中发现,戴在同事、学生面前和在自己的朋友、丈夫面前,表现的几乎是两个完全不同的形象。她的一个高中同学回忆,有一次,谢和几个高中同学一起在外面吃夜宵,戴过来后一句话也没讲,开一瓶“王老吉”饮料倒在丈夫的头上就走了。

  戴的日记里曾经有这么一句话:面对同事的眼光,我尝试着伪装,强颜欢笑。

  夫妻关系一波三折

  坠楼事件发生后,戴海静的娘家人向警方提供了2本她的生前日记,零散记录了2001年1月到2006年7月10日之间的一些生活、精神轨迹,这也成为了解戴海静生前精神生活状况的有力资料。

  “不知道从何时起,我和阿永的关系开始有些僵化”——2002年2月28日日记。

  至于戴遭遇丈夫殴打的经过,日记里有过一次记载,2001年10月5日是戴海静表弟结婚的日子,4日晚11点多了,谢某还在喝酒,打麻将。为此事,夫妻双方发生争吵,戴海静先用脚踢丈夫下身,后双方发生撕打,其间谢某用被子将戴海静蒙住,用衣架打她小脚。

  被打的第二天,戴海静离家到了学校,一声不吭,睡了一天。日记里说,因为她不想把夫妻吵架甚至被丈夫殴打的事让别人包括家里人知道,她认为让人知道了只不过是多了一个笑话,只怨自己当初看错了人。

  但是,翻开长达6年的日记,记者没有再看到其他有关夫妻打架的内容。

  2004年下半年,在生了孩子,正式结婚后不久,夫妻关系曾经急剧恶化,闹过离婚。“当时她的婆婆说,如果要离婚,她一个人出去,孩子和家产都不能动”。一位戴的同事这么描述当时的情况。最终因为有所顾及,她放弃了离婚的念头。

  6年心路坎坷

  戴海静与其丈夫谢某系高中同学,在1999年8月开同学会时碰见。此时,戴海静刚刚和大学里的同居男友断绝恋爱关系。谢某在同学会期间就向其求爱,之后二人有了交往。

  日记里记载,为了追求戴海静,谢某许下好多诺言。“当时的诺言好象包括为戴海静的弟弟安排工作等经济方面的。”一位戴的生前密友这样回忆道,在戴的朋友圈中,她是公认与戴关系最好的朋友之一。
2人在一起后,曾经遭到戴海静父母的反对。但经过努力,两人于2000年农历2月份订婚,2004年5月份戴海静产下儿子,同年10月份举行结婚仪式。

  订婚后10多天,谢就离开瑞安,前往广州做生意了,这一去就是半年。

  “谢出差广州的那些天,戴的情绪很不好,经常向我诉苦称自己不幸福,老公对自己不体贴。”生前密友回忆说,“有一次在温州人饭摊吃饭,我父母都在,讲起她的婚姻,她就在大厅里大哭起来。”

  事实上,订婚后的戴,并没有像外人想象的一样,过上“富婆”的生活。据了解,谢虽然挂名群英公司的总经理,但并无多大实权,整个家族的财政大权并不掌握在他手中。因此,戴的经济支出主要靠自己的工资维持。

  显然,订婚前的憧憬,订婚后的现实,有着太大的落差。用她日记里的话说——“精神生活等于零,物质生活也是如此贫乏,我真是可怜”。

  几个月后,就在谢认为“那边的生意还挺顺利时。”戴的娘家人开始催他回去。

  刚开始,他还不知所以然。直到有一天,一位戴的朋友给她打电话,告诉他——“海静精神出了问题。”

  接到电话,谢匆匆赶回。2000年9月7日,戴海静在未婚夫的陪伴下,到温州医学院附属第二医院精神科门诊就医。之后,“我又带着她到上海一家精神科医院就诊,经过治疗,病情得到了很好的控制。”谢某说。

  此后,谢放弃了广州的生意,但夫妻关系似乎并没有好转。

  订婚后的谢经常在外面“应酬”,几乎很少顾家,喜欢在外面喝酒、打麻将,对公司的业务也并不用心。戴把自己的心理话告诉了自己的其中一个密友:“她说自己订婚以后关系一般,谢在企业的表现也不好,自己在家中也没有地位,感到很失望。”

  “只要我当初坚强一点点,我也不会嫁给这样的男人”,日记中反复提到了自己对丈夫的失望,以及为自己无法融入这个家族而痛苦。

  此后,面对困境,一个新的念头产生了。

  “她说男人不争气,必须要女人出头,因此她一心想辞职进群英公司工作,掌握厂里的财政大权。”一位生前好友回忆。但是她的要求遭到了戴家的婉言拒绝,也包括她丈夫。“海静说自己听了很伤心,她说谢只听母亲的话,感到对他很失望。”

  当这一条路走不通后,“她准备去办培训班,想证明自己也能办一番事业。”她的另一位同窗好友回忆今年5月2日戴海静对她说的话。

  日记里她也提到男人不可靠,一切要靠自己。

  出于这样的目的,戴今年5月开始积极筹办英语培训班,开始自己的“创业”之路。但是在租房子、买空调、桌凳等投入了几万元后,因为生源少等种种原因,办辅导班很快失败了。
至此,创业之路也半途夭折。

  7月27日,辅导班失败后,坠楼事发的19天前,她约了自己一位非常要好的朋友喝茶,谈了一系列自己对婚姻家庭的不满。谈话中,她表示了自己的一个担心:自己的小叔子,丈夫的弟弟要娶媳妇了,对象是一个留学生,女方还陪嫁200万,她觉得自己今后在家族中更没有地位了。

  在喝茶准备结束的时候,她向这位要好的朋友透露了自己抑郁症复发,正在吃药的事情。此前一天,也就是7月26日,正是警方在医院找到的第二张治疗抑郁症药物处方上的日期。

三、戴海静自杀经过

  事发前一天曾经放煤气自杀

  8月17日6点30分许,戴海静与往常一样到学校上班,给高三年级的学生上了两节英语课。课后,还特意提醒学生“明天过来要做英语听写,回家好好温习一下”。

  该校陈老师说,她与戴在同一个办公室。下课后,戴在办公室,与她聊起了班里学生一些学习方面的事情。

  9点30分左右,戴下班回家。午饭后,下午1时许,戴海静与婆婆颜某开车出门,给新房卫生间选购瓷砖。

  在一家建材店看瓷砖时,店主发现戴非常疲惫的样子,就问她“中午是不是没午休啊,要不在我这休息一下。”戴便坐在椅子上,一手拖着下巴,闭目养神,而婆婆在店里转着看瓷砖。

  下午3时57分,戴接到浙师大同学孙某打来电话,告诉她有一同学父亲去世了要送人情。戴说自己新房子正在装修,非常忙,没时间去,让孙某帮忙带送一下。

  到下午4点多,戴回了家。家中保姆甘某说,戴没顾上清洗很脏的脚,也没换衣服,便径直走进卧室,躺在床上,一句话都没有。“戴很爱她的儿子,平时回家总会亲亲抱抱,而那天任凭其儿子在脚边爬来爬去,她都没有什么反应。”

  下午5时左右,甘某给孩子洗了澡,抱着孩子下楼去玩了。

  晚上7时许,丈夫谢某在村里划完龙舟回家。他在客厅、卧室都没发现妻子和孩子。便自顾洗个澡,关上房门躺床上看电视了。

  晚上7点20分许,保姆抱着小孩上楼。“刚进房门就闻到很浓的煤气味,以为是自己先前给孩子煮面条时,忘记关好煤气灶了。”连忙打开厨房房门,意外的发现女主人戴竟站在厨房里。

  “这么臭的煤气味,你没闻到啊”保姆提醒戴,后来戴伸手关上煤气瓶的阀门。保姆走出厨房后,没过多久又折回,觉得厨房煤气味还很重,而戴仍然站在那里。保姆去拧了一下煤气瓶的阀门,发现已经关紧了。戴伸手打开厨房窗户,通风透气。事后,警方在厨房窗上发现手印痕,经比对为戴所留。

  随后,保姆把孩子交给戴,自个回去了,没有把这事告诉其他人。

  事发后,警方在现场勘查中发现,其家中煤气瓶与输气橡皮管接口处遭到松动。在进行勘察实验时,只要拧开煤气桶开关阀门,立刻有煤气泄露。很显然,戴某是在有意识地放煤气自杀。

  现场痕迹帮助“还原”自杀动作

  晚上7点24分,谢接到朋友舒某电话,让他一起去吃饭。谢某与妻子带着儿子,准备出门,这时谢某闻到煤气味,戴说:“可能是煤气漏了。”

  他们来到镇上“阿庆排挡”吃饭,在座的除了舒某一家人,还有谢的舅妈和表弟。戴照顾孩子,没怎么吃东西,就喝了点饮料。其间,她还到排挡附近的“妈咪宝贝”商店为孩子买了一些婴儿用品。

  10点钟左右,他们开车回家。戴给孩子洗了澡,泡了奶粉。11时许,上床睡觉。谢某说,吃饭时,喝了4瓶啤酒,很快就入睡了。直到早晨5时许,谢某母亲过来告诉他,海静坠楼了。

  尽管谢无法向警方提供当晚戴的坠搂情况。但警方还是借助现场勘察痕迹,基本“还原”了她坠搂的情形。

  警方对现场进行勘查时,发现在客厅的南首东侧,一个窗户开着,窗帘拉开。经过技术勘查,发现在窗框内外侧面及窗户玻璃内侧面上有拖擦的手印痕,在窗台的大理石台面,技术人员还提取了一个由汗液形成的残缺赤足脚印。

  经技术专家分析,排除汗液脚印为谢某和保姆遗留,不排除戴海静所留。

  根据现场勘查,专家们“还原”了戴海静坠搂的可能一幕:死者位于客厅南面东窗台,左脚上窗台,两手接触窗户两侧窗框,身体微斜前倾沿墙体下坠。

  温州医学院精神科专家认为,戴海静不留遗书,不交代后事,不在公众面前暴露自杀迹象,穿睡衣跳楼自杀,符合精神抑郁症病人的心理。(特约记者 陈海峰)


(South China Morning Post)  10,000 gather in protest over 'cover-up' of teacher's death.  By Raymond Lai and Kevin Huang.  September 9, 2006.

Demonstrations again erupted yesterday outside the city government compound in Ruian city in Wenzhou , Zhejiang province , in protest against alleged police mishandling of the death of a high school teacher.

A witness said thousands of residents started to gather in the afternoon in the square in front of the government compound and by 7.30pm up to 10,000 protesters were in the area. At least 700 riot police were called in and erected barriers around the compound, but there were no reports of casualties. 

Dai Haijing was found dead near her apartment in suspicious circumstances on August 18. Her family claimed she was killed by her husband, wealthy Ruian businessman Xie Deyong .

The protests started on Wednesday after locals were angered by Mr Xie's attempts to have his wife's death officially classified as a suicide and by what they believed was a police cover-up.

Dai's family also accused Mr Xie and his family of destroying evidence and abusing her before her death.

On Thursday, thousands protested outside the city government compound. They later ransacked Mr Xie's factory and overturned several vehicles parked outside.

In statements published in local newspapers, police said Dai had a mental disorder and killed herself. They refused to comment on the riots last night.

Some of Dai's students released a public letter online.

"Why did law enforcement authorities refuse to investigate? Why did the coroner come so late? We don't understand! In a society under the rule of law, something infuriatingly unjust happened! Our rights are nothing in the face of money!" the letter said.

The public has grown more vocal in expressing disapproval of government policies and local law enforcement authorities appear to be losing credibility as a result of several botched cases. 

(Ta Kung Pao)  The Death of a Zhejiang female teacher sparks a police-citizen clash.  September 8, 2006.

[in translation]

According to reports, there were large-scale disturbances in Wenzhou (Zhejiang) for two consecutive days.  The cause was that the local residents were dissatisfied with the handling of a death investigation.  On the day before yesterday, they began to asssemble to demonstrate.  A large group of police dispersed the crowd and arrested more than 10 persons.

According to Hong Kong newspaper reports, information from Ruian city (Wenzhou), 30-year-old female teacher Dai Haijing fell out of her apartment to her death on August 18.  The police said that she committed suicide, but the residents believed that it was related to her husband.  Furthermore, they believed that someone paid off the authorities.  Therefore, they demanded a government investigation.

The death of Dai Haijing drew the attention of the media and netizens.  According to earlier reports, her husband named Xie is a rich and powerful person in the area, running one of the top ten enterprises there.  Xie is the general manager of a well-known company.

The younger sister of the diseased found a diary in which Dai Haijing recorded how she was violently abused by her husband.  Dai and Sie were high school classmates.  They were married in year 2000, with the opposition of the family.

After Dai died, the teachers and students of the school set up an Internet memorial site.  Then several thousand students marched in the streets slowly to demonstrate, which caused great unease at the Ruian municipal government.

According to reports, the police insists that it was a suicide.  On the day before yesterday, the people started a petition signature drive.  They assembled to demand the government re-open the investigation.  The authorities sent out a large number of armed police and there was a clash.  The police used batons and tear gas to disperse the crowd and arrested the demonstration leaders.

As many people were arrested and injured, this led to even greater civilian anger.  Yesterday, several thousand people assembled in front of the city government building to march and petition.  Some people put up banners about business-government colluion that ignore the life of a citizen.  The authorities sent out several hundred fully-armed militia police.  The demonstrators then turned to go to the factory managed by the deceased's husband and wreck havoc.  Many vehicles were vandalized.


(-╄BaǒBči的相册)


September 7: Outside the factory of Dai's husband, whom many believe to be responsible for her death.


The crowd size was estimated to be anywhere between 10,000 and 30,000


The armed police have their tear-gas launchers out.


Tear gas flowing down the street


Armed police make arrest


Detailed photo of street action from above


Vandalized vehicle


Overturned vehicle



The calm before the storm: noon at the municipal government plaza on September 8, 2006


2pm.  The armed police appeared in front of the entrance of the municipal government building


Almost 3pm.  People began to stream towards the municipal government building


More and more people appear on the plaza


The entrance is blocked.  The people fan out and wait.


What are the people waiting for? 
There is a huge crowd of demonstrators coming from the Tongxia district.


It is 4:30pm.  The plaza is filled with people.


The armed police charged out into the crowd.


The armed police dragged people into the courtyard in order to beat them.


The angry crowd smashes the glass in front of the building


The big sign in the back: "Serve The People"


(Associated Press)  Anger over alleged police mishandling of teacher's death sparks riots in southern China.  Christopher Bodeen.  September 11, 2006.

Crowds angered by alleged police mishandling of a school teacher's death attacked government offices in a southern Chinese city, sparking arrests and beatings by riot troops, newspapers and a local hospital said Monday.

Students and local residents of Rui'an's Tangxia township claimed police falsified a report and colluded with the husband of high school English teacher Dai Haijing, 30, to have her death classified as a suicide, according to Hong Kong newspapers Ta Kung Pao and The South China Morning Post.

The demonstrators also staged a protest at the husband's factory where they damaged cars and other property.

The protests reflect widespread perceptions that China's weak and largely opaque legal system is tainted by communist officials' abuse of power and susceptible to influence by the country's newly moneyed classes.

An administrator answering phones at Rui'an City People's Hospital on Monday said more than one dozen people had been admitted for treatment following Friday's violence, which broke out after police were sent into the public square in front of city hall. The woman refused to give her name or other details about the incident.

A clerk who answered the phone at Rui'an city hall confirmed the protest, but refused to say how many people had been involved or give any other details.

"It is all under investigation," said the man, who refused to give his name as is common among Chinese officials. "We didn't get much information about this," the man said.

An administrator at Dai's Rui'an No. 3 Junior High School said the school was not commenting on Dai's death or the protests. However, the woman, who refused to give her name, said students had been ordered to attend classes on Sunday, an apparent attempt to block further protests.

The newspaper reports and an account of the protests posted on the Internet said the students initially staged a silent protest march last week after local media published the results of the police investigation.

Demonstrations then snowballed, eventually drawing thousands of participants who smashed glass and overturned cars.

Dai was found dead on Aug. 18 outside her apartment and the police report said she committed suicide by jumping from her fourth-floor apartment window. The report said Dai had been suffering from marital problems and depression, citing entries in her journal and medication found in her apartment.

However, Dai's family and students suggested she may have been murdered. They said she showed no signs of being suicidal, and had written in her journal about suffering physical abuse by her husband, Xie Delong, a wealthy local businessman. The police report said nothing about the alleged abuse.

Telephones rang unanswered at the Tangxia police department.

Mainland China's entirely state-controlled media has not reported the Rui'an protests, a sign of the regime's anxiety over all unauthorized demonstrations.