The Paper's reporter Wang Jian
Introduction of the "Anti-Yuan Eighteen Martyrs" on the official website of the Xi'an Local History Office.
This year marks the 110th anniversary of the Xinhai Revolution, and in the revolution that ended China's more than two thousand years of feudal imperialism, countless benevolent people emerged, including Wang Shaowen, a native of Xi'an, who was one of the earliest members of the Shaanxi League. In 1916, during the anti-Yuan struggle, Wang Shaowen and 18 other people were arrested and killed, and the 18 people were called "anti-Yuan Eighteen Martyrs". In 2020, the Xi'an Civil Affairs Bureau named a road passing through Wang Shaowen's hometown Shaowen Road to commemorate and commemorate the martyrs.
A road passing through Wang Shaowen's hometown of Shuangshuimo Village was named Shaowen Road.
Although officials have honored and commemorated 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 removed Wang Shaowen's remains from the tomb and temporarily placed them under the walls of the project site.
In May 2021, the temporary site of Wang Shaowen's remains was hardened by the developer with concrete, and The Paper published a report on it (see https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_12573953 for details). Subsequently, the main leaders of Shaanxi Province and Xi'an City also gave instructions on this matter. Xi'an City and the relevant departments of the high-tech zone have also held many meetings to negotiate solutions, but there is still no conclusion. The crux of the matter is that the personnel of the relevant departments handling this matter believe that there seems to be no policy basis for how to solve the cemetery of the martyrs of the Xinhai Revolution.
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 heroes and martyrs' memorial facilities into national economic and social development plans and urban and rural planning, and strengthen the protection and management of heroes and martyrs' memorial facilities. Wang Sisi, legislative planning office of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, published an interpretation article on the Law on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs, which believes that "the heroes and martyrs protected by this law include heroic pioneers and revolutionary pioneers who have made sacrifices and contributions to the country, the nation, and the people in modern times." ”
On August 20, Wang Shaowen's descendants submitted a written appeal to the relevant departments, saying that they hoped to bury Wang Shaowen's remains in Xi'an's Qingliangshan Forest Park, which currently houses the pioneer of the Xinhai Revolution in Shaanxi Province, Jing Beimu, "The park is a public land, which can reduce the relevant costs and add a Xinhai Revolution education base." ”
Portrait of Wang Shaowen
The cemetery of the martyrs of the Xinhai Revolution was expropriated by the real estate
In 2020, the Xi'an Civil Affairs Bureau officially named 31 new roads and released them for use. Among them, a road with a length of 2100 meters, starting from Zhangba North Road in the east to Hualong 3rd Road in the west, passing through Shuangshuimo Village, is called Shaowen Road. The road name "Shaowen" is taken from the name of Wang Shaowen, one of the "anti-Yuan Eighteen Martyrs" in Xi'an, and the local people commemorate and commemorate the martyrs.
Shuangshuimo Village is Wang Shaowen's hometown, where he was killed in 1916 after being killed in an anti-Yuan struggle. More than a decade ago, the block where Wang Shaowen's cemetery is located was requisitioned by a real estate project. However, it was not until 2019 that the construction of the block where Wang Shaowen's tomb was located began, and the project was "Greentown Spring Wind Heart Language".
The temporary burial site for Wang Shaowen's remains has been hardened with concrete by the developer.
For various reasons, the relocation of Wang Shaowen's mausoleum has not been solved. In order to "make way" for the developer and not affect the progress of the project, on March 18, 2019, Wang Shaowen's grandson Wang Zhizhong and great-grandson Wang Cheng took Wang Shaowen's remains from the tomb, put them into a stone urn, temporarily buried them under the construction site wall, and marked the wall with a brush: The Tomb of Wang Shaowen Martyr.
On May 7, 2021, when Wang Cheng and a family elder went to the "Greentown Spring Wind Heart Language" to check, they were shocked to find that the place where Wang Shaowen's remains were temporarily buried had been hardened with concrete by the developer, and the hardening layer was about ten centimeters thick. Subsequently, Wang Cheng and others went to the Zhangba Subdistrict Office to reflect on this situation, and the person in charge of the Subdistrict Office said that they would coordinate with all local parties to properly handle the matter as soon as possible and bury the martyrs of the Xinhai Revolution.
On May 8, The Paper published a report on Wang Shaowen's life and the dilemma his graveyard faced. Wang Cheng also reflected this matter to relevant departments and leaders through the channels of letters and visits. The principal leaders of Shaanxi Province and Xi'an City gave instructions on this matter.
In the more than three months since May, xi'an city, high-tech zone, Zhangba street office and other multi-level multi-departmental personnel have repeatedly consulted with Wang Cheng and others, but so far they have not come up with a proper solution. The most recent coordination meeting was held on August 18, organized by the Xi'an Municipal Bureau of Letters and Visits, and sent people from civil affairs, united front, street offices and other departments to participate, and Wang Cheng and other descendants of Wang Shaowen were also invited to attend.
According to Wang Cheng, the reason why this matter has not been resolved is that the relevant departments believe that there seems to be no policy basis for how to solve the cemetery of the martyrs of the Xinhai Revolution.
At this meeting, some staff members quoted a 1983 circular issued by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the document "Shaanxi Minfa (83) No. 111" forwarded by the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Civil Affairs, saying that "Kuomintang and other patriots who participated in the Xinhai Revolution, the Northern Expedition War, and the War of Resistance Against Japan and were killed by the enemy after being captured in combat against the enemy were not treated as combat sacrifices and did not go through the formalities for posthumously recognizing revolutionary martyrs." The staff member concluded: "The meaning is that the (evaluation) channel has been closed." ”
In this regard, Wang Cheng said that their families do not now require Wang Shaowen to be assessed as a martyr. I just hope to be able to properly bury Wang Shaowen's remains, "After all, Wang Shaowen is a person who has made contributions and sacrifices to the country, and hopes to be different from ordinary people." ”
In fact, on January 17, 2012, regarding the issue of Wang Shaowen's cemetery, the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Civil Affairs stated in the "Shaanxi Minhan Letter (2012) No. 11" that on the issue of the repair and management scope of the cemetery, "we believe that on the issue of the repair and protection of the martyrs of the Xinhai Revolution and the zhishi cemetery, those who are posthumously considered martyrs and whose families voluntarily move the martyrs to the martyrs' cemetery can be moved to the martyrs' cemetery for unified management in combination with the national policy of centralized relocation of scattered martyrs." The repair of the martyrs' tombs and other cemeteries of the martyrs' and heroes' cemeteries that their families are unwilling to move into the martyrs' cemetery should be handled by the United Front Work Department where the Xinhai Martyrs' Mausoleum is located. ”
Wang Cheng held that Wang Shaowen belonged to the "other martyrs and heroes of the Xinhai Revolution" in the above-mentioned regulations, and the repair of his cemetery should be the responsibility of the united front work department. During negotiations with multiple departments this year, Wang Cheng also quoted the above views many times. However, relevant personnel believe that there is no specific policy and regulatory basis for guiding how to repair the cemetery.
In May this year, the temporary site of Wang Shaowen's remains was hardened by concrete, and the developer knocked the concrete open after the family negotiated and isolated the place with a fence.
Or may be based on the Law on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs
Is it really impossible to rely on and have no basis for dealing with the problem of the aftermath of the martyrs of the Xinhai Revolution like Wang Shaowen? 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 basis.
Article 4 of the Law on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs stipulates that people's governments at all levels shall strengthen the protection of heroes and martyrs, and make publicizing and carrying forward the deeds and spirit of heroes and martyrs an important part of the construction of socialist spiritual civilization. Departments of people's governments at the county level or above responsible for the protection of heroes and martyrs and other relevant departments shall perform their duties in accordance with law, and do a good job of protecting heroes and martyrs. Article 8 stipulates that people's governments at or above the county level shall incorporate the construction and protection of heroes and martyrs' memorial facilities into the national economic and social development plans and urban and rural plans, strengthen the protection and management of heroes and martyrs' memorial facilities, and approve and publish heroes and martyrs' memorial facilities with important commemorative significance and educational significance as cultural relics protection units in accordance with the provisions of the "Law on the Protection of Cultural Relics.".
The Law on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs also clearly stipulates that activities that harm the environment and atmosphere of commemorating heroes and martyrs must not be carried out within the scope of protection of heroes and martyrs' memorial facilities, and land and facilities within the scope of protection of memorial facilities must not be encroached upon, and commemorative facilities must not be destroyed or defaced.
So, does Wang Shaowen belong to the "Heroes and Martyrs" in the "Heroes and Martyrs Protection Law"? Wang Sisi of the Legislative Planning Office of the Legislative Affairs Commission of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress once issued an article interpreting the "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs," and Wang Sisi held that "the heroes and martyrs protected by this Law, including the heroic pioneers and revolutionary pioneers who have made sacrifices and contributions to the country, the nation, and the people in modern times, focus on the countless heroic martyrs who have emerged in the history of the Communist Party of China, the people's army, and the People's Republic of China, including both individuals and groups, including both famous heroes and countless nameless heroes. ”
Documents such as "Biography of Wang Martyr", "Tomb Table of Wang Martyr Shaowen", and "Record of the Death of Eighteen Martyrs" clearly record the life deeds and sacrifice process. In addition, the Xi'an Civil Affairs Bureau named a road "Shaowen Road", which is also an affirmation and recognition of its deeds and deeds.
At the coordination meeting on Wang Shaowen's cemetery held on August 18, the head of the petitioning department expressed the hope that Wang Cheng and others would fix their demands and submit them in writing. On August 20, Wang Cheng handed over a draft appeal to the staff of the Zhangba Subdistrict Office.
In the written appeal, Wang Cheng and others said that because the developer did not inform the family when he started digging, the remains of Wang Shaowen's two widows were lost, and then wang Shaowen's remains were temporarily hardened with cement, causing serious mental harm to his descendants. Therefore, the developer needs to sincerely apologize and give a certain amount of reasonable financial compensation.
Regarding the burial of the remains, Wang Cheng and others hope to bury Wang Shaowen's remains in Qingliangshan Forest Park. Wang Cheng said that the park is a public land, one can reduce the relevant costs, and the other is that the park is buried with the Shaanxi Xinhai Revolution Pioneer Jing Beimu, which can add a Xinhai Revolution education base for Xi'an.
Wang Cheng said: "Wang Shaowen gave his life for the Xinhai Revolution in Shaanxi Province, 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 feels that it is necessary to set up a memorial facility in the community developed by Greentown (such as stone monuments or pavilions, etc., with Wang Shaowen's deeds introduced). Under this premise, Wang Shaowen's remains can be relocated and buried in the public cemetery currently located in The Enyi District of Shuangshuimo Village, but Wang Shaowen and his two widows should be given a reasonable joint burial cemetery, a tombstone should be built, and the tombstone of Wang Shaowen in the Shaanxi History Museum should be engraved behind the tombstone. ”
Editor-in-Charge: Wang Xin
Proofreader: Zhang Liangliang