澳洲全國公民委員會主席：成立512地震國際問責團
【大紀元6月23日訊】女士們、先生們：
本年五月十二日在中國四川地區發生的大地震是一場駭人聽聞的大悲劇。七萬中國人失去了生命，數千人至今仍下落不明。導致這場災難嚴重擴大的人禍因素已廣為世人所道。據權威媒體報導，死傷的人數實際上遠不止此數。多家媒體披露，與四川省毗鄰的甘肅省地震局在震前就預測到了這次地震，而且預測到了這次地震的震中，但中國當局沒有向公眾發出預報。
雪上加霜的是，大量的學校樓房在這場地震中整體性崩塌，造成數萬學生冤死。充分的證據證明，這些學校建築整體性崩塌的原因是偷工減料和質量低劣。據稱，這些劣質校房是中國官員貪污腐敗的產物。被震壞最嚴重的樓房是近年才建的校舍和多層的民居樓。學校的教學大樓整體崩塌，而旁邊的樓房卻屹立不倒。成千上萬的學生就是被這些質量低劣的學校教學樓壓死。
國際媒體觀察員報導，在這場地震災難中失去孩子的父母近日抗議請願，要當地政府官員和建築商對學生的死難負責。BBC記者Michael Bristow報導：「死難學生的家長擔心，官方不會對如此多校房倒塌的原因作實質性的調查。」，「很多家長抱怨，儘管當地政府答應調查，但遲遲沒有給出實質性的調查方案。這些家長們擔心，應對劣質校房負責的地方官員和建築承包商最終不會受到追究。」（BBC 2008年6月6日報導】。 Mr Bristow 補充說，一名美國建築工程師，Kit Miyamoto 在四川為客戶檢測樓房時順便視察了聚源中學。這所中學在這次大地震中有 270名學生喪命。在一個網頁上，Kit Miyamoto 發貼說，學校教學樓的混凝土地板根本沒有支撐。他寫道：「這些校舍是壘高（Lego）樓房，但使用的預制水泥板邊緣根本沒有突出的鋼筋來與另塊板相連，板與板沒有互相連接。」。他說：「這樣的壘高（Lego）樓房根本經不起任何的橫向震搖。這些學校樓房就是這樣一些抗震性很差的樓房。」。根據中國《南方週末報》的報導，中國建設部的一名專家也做出類似的結論。《南方週末報》報導，這名專家說，這些學校樓房修建的地點、結構和用料都存在問題。
儘管遇難學生的家長怨聲載道，但當地政府卻漠然不應。BBC記者提出要採訪當地高級官員，但所有領導個個都說沒有時間。不過，一些官員卻不時出來故作姿態，試圖緩和公眾的悲哀和憤怒。本週初，警察已封鎖了這所學校，把守校門，嚴防外人進入。目前，中國當局又加強了對中國媒體的控制，不准媒體對這場災難作更進一步的報導，利用警察驅散抗議示威學生家長。這些學生家長想對那些他們認為要對校房倒塌負責的人員採取法律行動。
洛杉磯時報記者Mark Magnier 報導說：「中共宣傳部、國務院、人大已給中國國有媒體下指令性文件，指明嚴禁報導內容。被禁止報導的內容包括：追問學校樓房倒塌問題、政府延遲救災問題及北京當局隱瞞地震預報問題。對隱瞞地震預報的事，儘管當局以技術性為藉口來辯解，但事實真相已被數千萬的中國網民揭穿。」。（洛杉磯時報 2008年6月5日報導。）。
還有，災區的記者僅報導些「正面」的事件，如政府搶救山體滑坡造成的河流險情等，不揭露報導擴大地震災難的原因。
所有這些都應得到世人的高度關注，應該有開放性的公眾問責。這個開放性的公眾問責不是局限在中國，應該是國際性的。只有這樣，人禍災難才不會重演。瀆職者都要受到法律的制裁。
澳大利亞政府應為這次中國大地震災難發起成立國際問責團，為四川人民討回公道，伸張正義。在北京奧運會即將舉行之際，澳大利亞政府也應敦促中國政府確保到北京的賓客和記者的言論自由。
這場悲劇告訴了我們，自我標榜為「人民民主」的北京當局是甚麼樣的政權呢？這個政權不把人民放在眼裡，完全不對人民負責。它不是民主。它保護的是那些造成數萬人民死亡的官員和商人，而不是地震遇難者的家屬。隱瞞四川地震預報只是中共政權廣泛而系統地踐踏人權的冰山一角。
維護人權是本組織的重要使命之一。我們將遊說澳洲的政治領袖們發起成立國際性的問責團，對中國四川大地震災難進行全面問責。
謝謝各位，特別感謝本會的組織者和邀請人阮傑先生。
澳大利亞全國公民委員會主席 Mr.Peter Westmore
二00八年六月九日於澳大利亞墨
（阮傑譯，512追查委員會提供）
附：Mr. peter Westmore 講話英文原文
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,
The earthquake which devastated parts of Sichuan Province in China was an appalling tragedy, taking over 70,000 lives, with thousands more still missing. What has made the tragedy even worse are repeated and authoritative reports that the number of lives lost should have been substantially higher.
There are reports that the Seismological Bureau in Gansu, a province adjoining Sichuan, had predicted the earthquake, even nominating where its epicentre might be, but the warnings were ignored.
Even more seriously, there is very strong evidence that schools were disproportionately affected by the earthquake, and that thousands of children lost their lives unnecessarily because of shoddy workmanship, which was reportedly the result of corruption.
The buildings worst affected were recently-built schools and multi-story apartment buildings.
There is no doubt that many schools were completely destroyed while neighbouring buildings escaped unscathed. Many thousands of school children lost their lives in these buildings, while others in the immediate vicinity were barely affected.
International media observers have reported demonstrations by parents of children killed in the tragedy, demanding that local government officials and construction companies be held accountable.
Michael Bristow of the BBC News, reported: 「Parents fear there will not be a proper investigation into why so many schools collapsed in last month’s earthquake in China.
「Many complain that although local authorities have promised to investigate, they are slow to give out information and worried that contractors and officials responsible for shoddily-built classrooms will not be held accountable.」 (BBC News, June 6, 2008)
Mr Bristow added that an American structural engineer, Kit Miyamoto, had inspected the Juyuan Middle School where 270 children died, while he was in Sichuan checking other buildings for clients.
On a website posting, he concluded that the school’s concrete floors collapsed because they were not supported properly.
「Just imagine building a Lego house, but using Lego blocks that have no protruding nubs to tie the Legos together,」 he wrote. 「This Lego house would not be able to resist lateral shaking. The school building is like these weak Lego houses.」
An expert from China’s Ministry of Construction also came to a similar conclusion, according to China’s Southern Weekend newspaper.
He said there were problems with the school’s location, structure and with the materials used to build it, it was reported.
But despite the complaints, Juyuan’s local authority is saying little. No-one was available when the BBC asked for an interview with a senior official.
And officials appear to be attempting to tone down public displays of grief and anger. The school was sealed off earlier this week with a police guard to prevent people from going in.
In recent days the regime is now clamping down on the Chinese media, to prevent further reporting of this tragedy, and that police have been used to disperse demonstrations by parents who want to take legal action against those they consider responsible for the collapse.
Mark Magnier, a reporter from the Los Angeles Times said, 「The propaganda ministry and the State Council, China’s Cabinet, have issued directives to state-run news media outlining forbidden topics. Among them: questions about school construction, whether government rescue efforts lagged and whether Beijing knew in advance that the earthquake would happen but failed to warn people. Although the latter issue is scientifically questionable, it has been nonetheless transfixed by millions of Chinese Internet users.」 (Los Angeles Times, June 5, 2008)
Further, journalists in the region report only 「positive」 stories such as the handling of the artificial dams caused by rockfalls into rivers, and not the causes of the extensive damage caused by the earthquake.
All this is a matter of deep concern. There should be an open public inquiry, if not in China, then internationally, so that the mistakes of the past are not repeated, and where there has been criminal negligence, that those responsible should be held to account.
The Australian Government should be demanding justice for the people of Sichuan, and should sponsor an international inquiry into the response to the earthquake.
With the Olympic Games imminent, it should also call on the Chinese Government to ensure freedom of speech for visitors and journalists visiting China.
What does this tragedy tell us about the Beijing regime, which calls itself a 「people』s democracy」?
The regime is utterly unaccountable to the people, and it is not democratic.
It protects those who have contributed to the huge loss of life, and not the victims』 families.
The cover-up following the Sichuan earthquake is part of a wider, more systematic abuse of human rights by the Beijing regime.
My organisation is committed to promoting human rights, and will approach Australian political leaders to seek a full international inquiry into the Sichuan earthquake.
Thank you and special thanks to Mr.Ruan Jie, the organizer of this meeting and my inviter.
Peter Westmore, President of the National Civic Council.
(http://www.dajiyuan.com)