KEY POINTS:
A private memorial ceremony has been held for An An Liu, reports the Chinese Herald.
The paper quotes an associate of An An's mother Xiao Ping Liu, named as Mr A, who said police turned his cell phone off before heading into the ceremony.
Mrs Liu addressed the
ceremony, Mr A said.
"With tears in eyes, she said: "I can't tell you how deep my sorrow is at this moment. My daughter died so young, I never got to come to New Zealand to visit her since she came.
"An An told me not long ago that she'd decided to take Qian Xun back to China. We could then reunite and go to see the 2008 Olympics. It's a promise now that could never be realised"," The paper reported him as saying.
Mrs Liu's speech was "brief and very emotional", Mr A said.
An An Liu was found dead in the boot of her husband's car outside their Auckland home earlier this month. Husband Nai Yin Xue is suspected of her murder and is accused of abducting their three-year-old daughter Qian Xun Xue before abandoning her in Melbourne and fleeing to the United States.
Mrs Liu was also reported as saying she will bring An An's ashes back to Changsha in China where her daughter's funeral will be held.
"You could hear sobs starting from the audience," said Mr A.
Mrs Liu said she would bring up Qian Xun in a way that "An An would like to see" and that "would be the best comfort she would have".
Mrs Liu also expressed her thanks to the police at the ceremony, Mr A said.
He said up to 20 people were present, including police and Chinese consulate staff. The paper said Qian Xun was not present.
Wreaths were laid at the 40-minute long ceremony. They were from An An's parents, her grandparents, Qian Xun, aunts and uncles, the Chinese Consulate and the police.
An An's body was then sent to the crematorium and is likely to be claimed today, the Chinese Herald reports.
Mr A also told the paper of an emotional incident on Tuesday - the annual Chinese Moon Festival, a day traditionally spent with family.
It was the day Mrs Liu was to see An An's body.
Mr A said: "Mrs. Liu was going to see An An's body and had to leave Qian Xun. Qian Xun started to cry and held her grandma's hand really tight.
"Mrs Liu had to lie to her that she was going to buy her some chip and Qian Xun finally let go."
- NZ HERALD STAFF
