The cemetery of a Martyr of the Revolution of 1911 in Shaanxi was expropriated by real estate and the family members hope to relocate the remains in the park

　　This year marks the 110th anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution. In that revolution that ended the feudal monarchy in China for more than two thousand years, countless people of lofty ideals emerged, including Xi'an native Wang Shaowen, one of the earliest members of the Shaanxi League.

In 1916, in the anti-Yuan struggle, 18 people including Wang Shaowen were arrested and killed. These 18 people were called "eighteen anti-Yuan martyrs".

In 2020, the Xi'an Civil Affairs Bureau named a road passing through Wang Shaowen’s hometown Shaowen Road, with the purpose of remembering and commemorating the martyrs.

　　Although the government affirms and commemorates Wang Shaowen by naming roads and other means, what is less known is that Wang Shaowen’s tomb in Shuangshuimo Village was expropriated by a real estate project.

In order to "make way" for the developer, in March 2019, Wang Shaowen's descendants took Wang Shaowen's remains from the tomb and temporarily placed them under the wall of the project site.

　　In May 2021, the site where Wang Shaowen’s remains was temporarily hardened with concrete by the developer, The Paper has published a report on this (see: https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_12573953).

After that, the main leaders of Shaanxi Province and Xi'an City also gave instructions on the matter.

The relevant departments of Xi'an City and the High-tech Zone have also held meetings to negotiate a solution many times, but so far there is still no conclusion.

The main problem lies in the fact that the personnel of the relevant departments who dealt with the matter believed that how to solve the cemetery of the Martyrs of the Revolution of 1911 seems to have no policy basis.

　　The Law on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs stipulates that people’s governments at or above the county level shall incorporate the construction and protection of memorial facilities for heroes and martyrs into national economic and social development plans, urban and rural planning, and strengthen the protection and management of memorial facilities for heroes and martyrs.

Wang Sisi, Legislative Planning Office of the Legislative Planning Office of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, stated that “the heroes and martyrs protected by this law include those who have made sacrifices and contributions for the country, the nation, and the people since modern times. Heroic pioneers and revolutionary pioneers."

　　On August 20th, Wang Shaowen’s descendants filed a written appeal to the relevant authorities saying that they hoped that Wang Shaowen’s remains could be buried in Xi’an Qingliangshan Forest Park. The park currently houses the Shaanxi Xinhai Revolution pioneer Jing Wumu. “The park is a public land. On the one hand, related expenses can be reduced, and on the other hand, an education base for the Revolution of 1911 can be added."

The cemetery of the revolutionary martyrs of the 1911 Revolution was expropriated by real estate

　　In 2020, the Xi'an Civil Affairs Bureau officially named 31 new roads and released them for public use.

Among them, a road that is 2,100 meters long, starts from Zhangba North Road in the east, ends at Hualong San Road in the west, and passes through Shuangshuimo Village, named Shaowen Road.

The road name "Shaowen" was taken from the name of Wang Shaowen, one of the "eighteen anti-Yuan martyrs" in Xi'an.

　　Shuangshuimo Village is the hometown of Wang Shaowen, who was buried here after he was killed in the anti-Yuan struggle in 1916.

More than ten years ago, the site of Wang Shaowen's cemetery was requisitioned by a real estate project.

However, it was not until 2019 that the site of Wang Shaowen's tomb began to start construction. The project is "Green City Spring Breeze".

　　For various reasons, the relocation of Wang Shaowen's tomb has not been resolved.

In order to “make way” for the developer without affecting the progress of the project, on March 18, 2019, Wang Shaowen’s grandson Wang Zhizhong, great-grandson Wang Cheng, and others took Wang Shaowen’s remains from the tomb, put them in a stone urn, and temporarily buried them on the construction site. Under the wall, and mark with a brush on the wall: Wang Shaowen Martyr's Tomb.

　　On May 7, 2021, when Wang Cheng and a family elder went to "Green City Chunfeng Xinyu" to check, they were shocked to find that the place where Wang Shaowen's remains was temporarily buried had been hardened with concrete by the developer, and the hardened layer was about ten centimeters thick.

Afterwards, Wang Cheng and others went to Zhangba Street Office to report this situation. A person in charge of the street office said that they would coordinate the local parties to properly handle the matter as soon as possible and bury the martyrs of the Revolution of 1911.

　　On May 8, The Paper published a report on this, introducing Wang Shaowen's life and the dilemma facing his graveyard.

Wang Cheng also reported the matter to relevant departments and leaders through the channel of letters and visits.

The main leaders of Shaanxi Province and Xi'an City gave instructions on this matter.

　　In the three-month period from May to present, relevant personnel from multiple levels and departments including Xi'an City, High-tech Zone, Zhangba Sub-district Office have repeatedly negotiated with Wang Cheng and others, but have yet to come up with a proper solution.

The most recent coordination meeting was held on August 18. It was organized by the Xi'an Bureau of Letters and Calls and sent people from various departments such as the Civil Affairs, United Front Work, and Street Affairs Office. Wang Cheng and other descendants of Wang Shaowen were also invited to participate.

　　According to Wang Cheng, the reason for the delay in resolving this matter is that relevant department personnel believe that there seems to be no policy basis on how to resolve the cemetery of the revolutionary martyrs of the 1911 Revolution.

　　At this meeting, a staff member quoted a 1983 notice issued by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the document "Shaanxi Minfa (83) 111" forwarded by the Civil Affairs Department of Shaanxi Province, saying, "Participated in the Revolution of 1911, the Northern Expedition, and the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. The Kuomintang and other patriots who were captured by the enemy and were killed by the enemy after being captured by the enemy are not treated as sacrifices in combat and do not go through the formalities for ratification of revolutionary martyrs.” The staff member concluded: “It means that the (Ping Lie) passage has been closed. Up."

　　In this regard, Wang Cheng said that their family members do not now ask Wang Shaowen to be assessed as a martyr.

I just hope that Wang Shaowen's remains can be buried properly. "After all, Wang Shaowen is a person who has made contributions and sacrifices to the country, and I hope to be different from ordinary people."

　　In fact, on January 17, 2012, regarding the issue of Wang Shaowen’s cemetery, the Civil Affairs Department of Shaanxi Province once stated in “Shaanmin Letter (2012) No. 11” that regarding the cemetery repairs and management scope, “we think: Xinhai The maintenance and protection of the cemetery for revolutionary martyrs and aspiring scholars. Anyone who considers martyrs and their families voluntarily move the martyrs into the cemetery can be integrated into the cemetery for unified management in accordance with the national policy of centralized relocation of scattered martyrs; their families are unwilling to move into the cemetery. The repairs to the tombs of the Martyrs in the Martyrs Cemetery and other cemeteries for the revolutionary martyrs and loyalists of the 1911 Revolution should be handled by the United Front Work Department where the Mausoleum of the Martyrs is located."

　　Wang Cheng believed that Wang Shaowen belonged to the “other Martyrs and Scholars of the 1911 Revolution” mentioned in the above regulations, and the repair of his cemetery should be the responsibility of the United Front Department.

When negotiating with multiple departments this year, Wang Cheng also quoted the above viewpoint many times.

However, relevant personnel believe that there is currently no specific policy and regulatory basis to guide how to repair the cemetery.

Or it can be based on the "Heroes and Martyrs Protection Act"

　　Is it really impossible to follow Wang Shaowen's problem of handling the aftermath of the revolutionary martyrs of the 1911 Revolution?

Not necessarily.

The Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs, which came into effect on May 1, 2018, may provide relevant evidence.

　　Article 4 of the "Law on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs" stipulates that people's governments at all levels should strengthen the protection of heroes and martyrs, and make publicity and promotion of the deeds and spirit of heroes and martyrs an important part of the construction of socialist spiritual civilization.

The departments responsible for the protection of heroes and martyrs and other relevant departments of the people's governments at or above the county level shall perform their duties in accordance with the law and do a good job in the protection of heroes and martyrs.

Article 8 stipulates that the people’s government at or above the county level shall incorporate the construction and protection of memorial facilities for heroes and martyrs into national economic and social development plans, urban and rural planning, and strengthen the protection and management of memorial facilities for heroes and martyrs; The memorial facilities for heroes and martyrs are approved and announced as cultural relics protection units in accordance with the provisions of the "Cultural Relics Protection Law".

　　The Law on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs also clearly stipulates that activities that damage the environment and atmosphere for memorializing heroes and martyrs shall not be carried out within the protection scope of the memorial facilities for heroes and martyrs, and the land and facilities within the protection scope of the memorial facilities shall not be invaded or damaged or defaced. Etc.

　　So, does Wang Shaowen belong to the "heroic martyrs" in the "Heroic Martyrs Protection Law"?

Wang Sisi of the Legislative Planning Office of the Legislative Work Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress once issued an article to interpret the "Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs". Contributing heroic pioneers and revolutionary pioneers, focusing on the countless heroes who have emerged in the history of the Chinese Communist Party, the People’s Army and the People’s Republic of China, including both individuals and groups, including both famous and unnamed heroes."

　　The "Biography of Wang Martyrs", "List of the Tomb of Wang Martyrs Shaowen", "The Death of the Eighteen Martyrs" and other documents clearly record the life deeds and sacrifice process.

In addition, the Xi'an Civil Affairs Bureau named a road "Shaowen Road", which is also affirmation and recognition of its deeds.

　　At the coordination meeting on Wang Shaowen's cemetery held on August 18, the person in charge of the petition department expressed the hope that Wang Cheng and others would fix their appeals and submit them in writing.

On August 20, Wang Cheng handed a draft request to the staff of Zhangba Street Office.

　　In the written appeal, Wang Cheng and others stated that because the developer did not inform his family when he started the excavation, the remains of the two widows of Wang Shaowen were lost, and then the temporary storage of Wang Shaowen’s remains were hardened with cement, which caused serious damage to the descendants. Mental injury.

Therefore, developers are required to sincerely apologize and provide reasonable economic compensation.

　　Regarding the burial of the remains, Wang Cheng and others hope that Wang Shaowen's remains can be buried in Qingliangshan Forest Park.

Wang Cheng said that the park is a public land, which can reduce related expenses. Second, the park is buried in Shaanxi Xinhai Revolution pioneer Jing Wumu, which can add a Xinhai Revolution education base to Xi'an.

　　Wang Cheng said: “Wang Shaowen gave his life to the Xinhai Revolution in Shaanxi, and a hundred years later, he also made contributions to the relocation of the cemetery for urban construction. If the above plan (buried in Qingliangshan Park) cannot be achieved, our family members feel that this must be developed in Greentown. A memorial facility (such as a stone tablet or pavilion, with introduction of Wang Shaowen’s deeds) is set up in the small area. Under this prerequisite, Wang Shaowen’s remains can be buried with the move to the public cemetery of Shuangshuimo Village currently located in Huyi District, but it should be given to Wang Shaowen He and his two widows reasonably buried the cemetery together, built a tombstone, and carved the epitaph of Wang Shaowen from the Shaanxi History Museum on the back of the tombstone."

　　Reporter Wang Jian