7 News Belize

Chinese Community Holds Funeral For Three Murder Victims
posted (April 11, 2011)
One week ago, the Belize-Chinese community went on a spontaneous demonstration against crime in the city, and launched an unprecedented two day nationwide shutdown.

It was that commercial community's reaction to the senseless murder of two Chinese women - who were killed in their stores - within an hour of each other.

Their funerals were held yesterday at St. John's Cathedral in the city - and while no one quite knew what to expect after last Monday's demonstration, we found a community that knew it was time to grieve, not to protest….here's how the church service went:..

Jules Vasquez Reporting
Three bodies 14 year old Hui Sheng Chen, 37 year old Fei Lan Wu, and 37 year old Yan Ying Chen lay in the St. John's Cathedral - for a festival of grief on this day - when the programme was in Chinese. Yan Ying Chen's brother looked it over in silence, While Fei Lan Wu's husband took his place at the front, and on this day even the firebrands were laid back.

It was a funeral for three Chinese, but a large and diverse cross section of the community attended.

14 year old Hui Sheng Chen known to his class as Sam was the only one to get a eulogy in English:

Teacher
"Sam was a well know avid chess player in his league. He was also an excellent math and music student, despite his language barrier he manage to place first in his class of 2Flores."

And while his fellow students sang for him - the others got remembrances from their families in mandarin.

At the end of a short and un-dramatic ceremony, leaders of the community carting out the three bodies - there were tears mixed it seemed with a kind of collective relief that at least this stage of the public grieving was coming to an end with the three hearses pulling away for the trip to the cremation site.

Arrests have been made in all three murders..

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize