People are alive and aboveground, while cash, bankbooks and valuables of both government and citizens remain under the debris. On May 29 the Party chief of Beichuan County Song Ming disclosed the next step toward resolving any buried properties.

Because buildings have collapsed, a large percentage of the earthquake survivors’ properties are now buried and inaccessible. Authorities have forbidden local people from entering Beichuan county seat, now a quarantine area and potential flood threat region due to the “quake lake” located on the upper reaches. Inhabitants hope that government can retrieve some of their assets.

Song said that the “quake lake” at Tangjiashan still poses a serious threat to life and the disease prevention project has not ended. These conditions make it impossible for either residents or relief workers to enter Beichuan to excavate any buried assets.

Important government documents such as personnel files and financial receipts were buried as well, but people’s life comes first, Song Ming said. How to solve the problem of buried assets and to preserve earthquake and geological data will be next on the agenda, he added.

But, according to him, the government has begun to check all pertinent international documents and records to help design regulations to resolve the issues.

Earthquake victims also wanted to know whether the government would partially compensate their losses. Song stated that official regulations on this topic would come out later.

Victim’s buried property story

Lin Yuwang hails from Beichuan County. He has no news concerning his wife and son, and also no news about his assets, including some 100,000 yuan in cash, along with his written accounts.

Lin had so much cash because he had just taken out a loan for his new business. Ironically, he now only has one hundred yuan in his pocket. Lin really wants to go dig up his money and his tally book in order to start another business.

Lin and his business friends feel that they could start doing business again if given some financial backing. They all want to journey to Beichuan despite the quarantine in order to retrieve their accounting books. These men are tired of hanging out at the Jiuzhou Gym getting free food and drink.

(China.org.cn by Wu Huanshu, May 30, 2008)