Montreal couple missing in China conflict zone
Last Updated: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 | 10:36 AM ET
CBC News
The family of Marissa Figlarz (centre) and her boyfriend, Andrew Greene (left), last heard from them on July 3 in Urumqi. (Calvin Kalman)The whereabouts of a young Montreal couple vacationing in a politically unstable province in China are still unknown.
The family of Marissa Figlarz and her boyfriend, Andrew Greene, last heard from them on July 3 when the couple were in Urumqi. Deadly riots broke out in that area two days later, and since then more than 150 people have been killed and more than 1,000 injured in ethnic fighting. Communication lines have also been cut.
Marilyn Cooperman, Marissa’s mother, has been logging onto her 24-year-old daughter's Facebook page, hoping friends will have some information. She said she’s also spent hours on the phone with Foreign Affairs employees.
“I don't know at this moment, what else I can do. Hopefully, there is a network of people who will contact other people,” Cooperman said.
"I hope that they will be aided, and that the anxiety being experienced now by the Chinese government will be lifted, so that they can allow these lines of communication to go through again."
Mehmet Tohti, past president of the Uyghur Canadian Society, said the ethnic violence will only get worse in China and Canadians should get out fast.
"They shouldn't stay there longer because the conflict just started, and I sense the conflict will continue for a long time," said Tohti.
Canada's Foreign Affairs department is advising Canadians travelling in China to stay indoors, be cautious and keep Canadian consular officials informed of their location and travel plans.
