Speech given by Maxine Russell on Press Conference
Called by Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Regarding Human Rights Violations in China

(Holding a photo of Darren Russell). I want to show you a personal example of the human rights violations in China. This was my son Darren Russell. He was well educated with a Bachelor’s Degree, graduate classes in teaching, and an amTEFL certification to teach English as a Foreign Language. His university mentor said he was “like a breath of fresh air. He wore his heart on his sleeve, and was without any pretense.” His students loved and respected him. He could have taught anywhere in the world. However, he chose China because he studied and respected the culture, and wanted to make a difference in the lives of his students.

Like vast amounts of Americans who have gone to China every year to teach, many of these teachers have found themselves in dangerous situations – often working in unlicensed, illegal schools. This common problem is well known in China and illegal school operations work with the corrupt local government and police officials to continue operating at the expense of honest teachers.

Darren’s passport was held illegally and he was forced to work seen days a week, teaching 1,200 students per week grades 1-12. The entire contract was a fraud-all eighteen promises. Darren continued to teach on a tourist visa, with the promise each month the proper work permit visa would be issued. I begged him to leave, but he felt he was there for the students and did not want to leave them. He was impressed by their kindness, enthusiasm, and love. He told me, “They are innocent victims.”

On April 14, 2005, Darren was murdered. I have had 21 different accounts of the circumstances, but all stated he was hit by a hit-and-run truck. For two years I have had to endure phony police reports, traffic reports, hospital records, and even a phony witness. I have consistently offered solid evidence my son was murdered (i.e. the Chinese police had sent his body back with make-up to cover where he was punched in the face; lies that his clothes were thrown away by a doctor only to see photos of Darren’s nude body on the floor of a morgue with his clothes beside him; staged photos of Darren dead in a hospital bed-but supposedly alive with the EKG machine off, shoes hurriedly put on backwards, and one pant leg rolled up). No one would believe my evidence, instead trying to paint me as a grieving mother who didn’t want to admit the truth.

On March 14, 2007, I made the painful decision to have my son’s body exhumed and autopsied. The cause of death was: Homicide-blunt force trauma to the head and brain; No possibility of any traffic accident. He was also beaten with three broken ribs, a hemorrhaged lung, and defensive wounds. I looked carefully at the autopsy photos. He was struck so hard (from behind as well), probably with a pipe, that his brain shifted position.

Yet our own State Dept. still lists Darren’s death on their web site as a vehicular pedestrian accident. Yesterday, David Schwartz at the State Dept. in Washington, DC said, “Homicide means unintentially hit by a truck” and has no plans to remove what I know is false information from their web site. He said twice that “ the State Dept. agrees with China that Darren was hit by a truck. Is he a forensic pathologist, medical doctor, or in law enforcement?

The FBI has seen the autopsy report and has even showed it to someone who has autopsied 1,000 bodies per year. They felt it was very well done and reasonable and no one doubted the conclusion.

To this day, Chinese authorities have never conducted an investigation into Darren’s murder. Darren has not been the only American teacher murdered in China. Also, through my web site, I have documentation of rapes, beatings, threats by triads-like Chinese mafia enforcing illegal contracts, and English sweatshop conditions. There are stories of American businessmen held for months and even years without being charged.

Even the U.S. Embassy in China states that, “incidents violating basic civil and human rights often involving intimidation, life threatening violence, and indecent working conditions affecting foreign teachers have increased eightfold since 2004.”

Edmund Burk (1729-1797) said, “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” Are we to honor China and the Olympics when China continues to violate the basic human rights of its own citizens and those of foreigners as well?

I hope and pray you never have to lose a child like I did. Not only have I lost the chance to see him married, have children, be a tremendous uncle to his nephews, and a loving son – but the world has lost a remarkable human being. Nothing will bring my precious son back, but if I can raise awareness and help others, that will give me great peace.

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