CHINA – SEPTEMBER 6, 2018 Wang Qian, 31, ended her life by hanging from a tree because of her dire financial situation. She provided a lot of her funds as an investment to PiaoPiaoMiao, a P2P lending company. But her money was confiscated. Although she tried to take up the issue with the government authorities, but she could not get her rights enforced in any way. Feelings of powerlessness and resentment towards the government drove her to suicide, as she states in her suicide note.

: Wang Qian

: Her suicide note

TRANSLATION
Dear Mom and Dad,
I’m sorry I couldn’t hold on and gave up on myself. It’s not that I don’t want to live—it’s because I see things clearly that I’ve chosen this path. Money is not actually that important. As young people, we can earn and live, but this pain is unbearable. This country is too disappointing. My money was scammed, and it’s been almost a month since I reported it, but there’s no progress. The perpetrators haven’t been caught, and the money hasn’t been frozen. This is the so-called public service in Hangzhou. Before I even began defending my rights, the police labeled me as a “stability target” and restricted me from petitioning. National policies may be issued in a timely manner, but they are never implemented at lower levels.
When I went to Shanghai to demand my money from the shareholders, there were more police officers driving away financial refugees than people defending their rights. It’s clear that all the power is serving capitalism. “Serving the people” has become a joke. At the Shanghai petition office, I saw hundreds of people violently driven away by police and assistants. I even personally witnessed the police beating people. It’s unbelievable. My entire mindset has collapsed because the education I received as a child taught me to love my country and my party, instilling a strong sense of collective pride. But now, everything I believed in is destroyed.
I don’t have the strength to fight against them—ordinary people are too weak. P2P lending with national investment collapsed. The shareholders shirk their responsibilities without shame, law enforcement is dragging its feet, and efforts to defend rights or petition are constantly blocked. I’m exhausted. I see no hope. Where is the “power of the people”?
Please don’t be sad. Life must go on. I’m leaving because I’ve lost faith in life and society. I’m not afraid of death, but I’m terrified of continuing to live. I know I’m being selfish, but please take good care of Xixi and my cat. If there’s another life, I don’t want to be born a human again, or better yet, not be born at all. Thank you for bringing me into this world. Although it hasn’t been a happy one, I’m still grateful to have known you and to be your daughter.
Xixi: Mommy has gone. I hope you study well, grow up, go abroad to study, and immigrate. Mommy can’t watch you grow up, but I wish you all the best—peace and happiness. Mommy loves you.
Your unfilial daughter,
Qian
September 6, 2018

If you’re thinking about suicide, please stop and recognize that your pain is not permanent, but this step would be. It may feel like there’s no other way, but there is hope, even if it’s hard to see right now. Your feelings are temporary, and with help, they can pass.

Talking about what you're going through might feel difficult, but it’s the first step toward healing. Don’t turn away from the people who want to support you. Life can offer more than what you're feeling right now, and the pain doesn't have to last forever. You deserve help, and it’s available.

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