China will make two statues for Iris Chang, the late former
female reporter of the Associated Press, for her exposure of
"atrocities committed by Japanese aggressors" in China and the
spirit to "dig up the historical truth."??
A group of eminent Chinese artists and scholars discussed the
clay model of the work in Beijing on Tuesday.
"We have received the approval from Chang's family members to
make the statues," said Yang Zhengquan, vice chairman of the China
Foundation for Human Rights Development, at the discussion
session.
Chang, born in a Chinese immigrants' family in Princeton of New
Jersey, used to be a reporter for the AP and the Chicago
Tribune. She published her book The Rape of Nanking - The
Forgotten Holocaust of World War II in 1997 after two years'
research and interviews on the Chinese mainland, which shocked the
world.
The book, written in English, enabled Europeans and Americans to
know the details of the Nanjing Massacre for the first time. It has
been published more than 10 times, with nearly 1 million copies
having been printed.
Chang also frequently made speeches in various regions
criticizing Japan government's refusal to repent its aggressive
history and its efforts to cover up the outrageous crimes committed
by past Japanese militarists.
She was also considered a key member in retrieving Diaries of
John Rabe, which provides crucial records of the Nanjing
Massacre.
Chang was found dead of suicide in San Francisco at age 36 on
November 9 last year.
Wang Hongzhi, president of the Nanjing Oil Painting and
Sculpture Institute and undertaker of the project, said he wishes
to present the demure beauty of an oriental woman in the
statues.
"The more important thing is to portray her sense of historical
responsibility and intrepid fighting spirit," said Wang.
The statues, to be made of white marble or bronze, will have a
height between 1.8 and 2.0 meters.
One of the statues will be placed in the Memorial Hall of the
Victims in the Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in Nanjing,
Jiangsu Province. The other one will be donated to family members
of Chang in the United States. The delivery time is not set
yet.
(Xinhua News Agency June 22, 2005)