The shame of Sichuan's tofu schools

Five years after the deadly earthquake in Wenchuan, Sichuan, dozens of parents are still seeking justice for children who died when their shoddily built schools collapsed. Other families, however, have abandoned their struggle over the years, under immense pressure from the government.

Zhou Xingrong, whose 15-year-old son, Lu Qianliang, died when Juyuan Middle School collapsed on May 12, 2008, told the South China Morning Post about the heavy price paid in her fight for what she believed was right.

Devastated by the loss of her only child, Zhou also had to endure losing personal freedoms - she hasn't even been allowed to mourn her loss in public.

"Dujiangyan may be the city that reacted the hardest to protesters," Zhou said. "I don't know of another place that detained parents of deceased schoolchildren. As far as I know, more than 10 parents of Juyuan Middle School victims were taken into custody, not to mention [parents of children at] Xinjian Primary School [where more than 200 pupils died]."

Officials say about 280 students and teachers died at Juyuan Middle School, but independent investigations put the toll at more than 300.

On the first quake anniversary in 2009, Zhou was intercepted by police on her way to the scene of the disaster. She wanted to light firecrackers and burn paper offerings she had bought for her son. Instead, she was locked up for three days for attempting to mourn at the school ruins.