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SCMP Reporter

Late paramount leader Deng Xiaoping's last wish was fulfilled as his family scattered his ashes at sea, footage released by state television showed yesterday.

  The footage, likely to be the last group public appearance for Deng's mourning family, showed the ash-scattering ritual being performed by Deng's widow, Zhuo Lin , his three daughters and two sons on board a military plane on Sunday.

  Other relatives on the flight included Deng's four grandchildren and his brother, Deng Ken.

  Also on board were Politburo Standing Committee member Hu Jintao , who headed the office organising Deng's funeral arrangements, and a team of officials and military personnel, all wearing white flowers.

  Ms Zhuo, 81, burst into tears as she scattered her husband's ashes mixed with flower petals from the plane.

  Deng's five children and Mr Hu then joined in the ceremo-ny.

  The family wrote to the Communist Party last month before Deng's death saying the patriarch wanted a simple funeral.

   They also said he wanted to donate his body and corneas for medical purposes.

  Officials from Beijing's Tongren Hospital, China's prestigious eye hospital, yesterday declined to comment on reports that they had received Deng's corneas.

  Xinhua (New China News Agency) Hong Kong branch director Zhou Nan said although requests had been made by various parties in Hong Kong to have Deng's ashes scattered in the territory, the wishes of his family should be respected.

  'Scattering [the ashes] into the sea, they will be carried by current to Hong Kong and Taiwan,' said Mr Zhou in Beijing yesterday.

   'Deng Xiaoping was a great man internationally and should be carried to other parts of the world, too.'   Earlier, Hong Kong delegates attending the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference requested that part of Deng's ashes should be scattered in Hong Kong waters as a symbolic fulfilment to Deng's wish of setting foot in the territory.



Deng's last wish carried out