One year ago today, tens of thousands of parents lost their only child, buried deep in the rubble of school buildings. Thousands more died in China's massive earthquake on May 12, 2008. The official death toll is almost 70,000 with more than 17,000 people still missing.
The tragedy does not end with the deaths, the aftershocks, the chilling winter spent in makeshift tents; nor even with the knowledge that the schools were constructed badly from shoddy materials. Grieving parents are now being harassed and thrown in jail for seeking redress from officials.
Amnesty International released a report recently detailing the efforts Communist Party officials are taking to clamp down on appeals, protests, and media coverage of parents wanting answers. Read more.