In that land of China, there are some names that must not be known, and even those who mention these names may face censorship. However, these names are now engraved on a wall in a large park in Southern California, USA, and will be preserved for eternity.
Last Saturday (the 13th), the unveiling ceremony of the “Pioneers of the Democracy Movement Wall” at the Freedom Sculpture Park gathered nearly a hundred guests, including many young people. Amid the accompaniment of the accordion and the choir singing “The Sun Also Rises,” the ceremony solemnly commenced as attendees paid their respects to these pioneers.
The pioneer wall mainly records dissidents who have dared to speak out against the Chinese Communist Party for decades. Under the iron curtain of the CCP, they displayed extraordinary courage: some are still imprisoned, some have lost their lives, some have disappeared, and some have fled to foreign lands.
Seeing the name of his old friend Qin Yongmin on the wall, Zhu Yufu, one of the founding elders of the China Democracy Party, appeared very emotional. They had once formed a party to fight against the government in China. Qin Yongmin has been sentenced to a total of 36 years in prison and is still incarcerated; Zhu Yufu escaped to the United States in 2023.
Beside the name of human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng in China, his wife Geng Hexin finds it difficult to calm her emotions. Gao Zhisheng, hailed as the “conscience of China,” has long been vocal for the rights of the weak, for conscience, and for democracy in China. He has been forcibly disappeared for over eight and a half years with his fate unknown.
Geng Hexin said, “It’s as if he has been erased from this planet, but what is erased is his physical presence, his humanity and thoughts left behind still inspire us and walk with us side by side.”
The chairman of the China Social Democratic Party, Liu Yinquan, also found many names of his old friends in the wall: some were abducted back to China and sentenced to life imprisonment, some friends were even assassinated by the CCP, including Peng Ming, who was silenced in prison.
During his speech, Liu Yinquan said, whenever he thinks of these friends, he feels deep sadness: “These warriors, these friends, for the cause of democracy in China, for giving the Chinese people a democratic and free life like that of Americans, have sacrificed promising futures. Even today, the CCP continues to smear their names.”
The establishment of the memorial wall is inseparable from the hard work of numerous volunteers. Chen Weiming, the founder of the Freedom Sculpture Park, thanked the volunteers and friends for their help. He explained that every aspect of building the wall was not easy. On over seventy stainless steel plates on the wall, the image and a brief bio of each individual had to be engraved in both Chinese and English. The sweat and tears of the volunteers were intertwined because they were deeply moved by the stories behind these names while building the wall.
Chen Weiming praised these pioneers for setting up a lighthouse of freedom: “Our Freedom Sculpture Park aims to preserve this wall in the historical timeline forever, so that people will always remember them.”
Junjie Zhang, a student at the University of California, Berkeley, mentioned that the memorial wall includes not only religious and democracy leaders but also ordinary people from all walks of life. He believes that although social change is closely related to the rise and fall of regimes, the power of public opinion should not be underestimated, “In the course of historical development, the moral courage of millions of ordinary people and their commitment to conscience can promote the long-term progress of a society, a country, and a nation.”
Wang Dan, a leader of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and the director of the Tiananmen Memorial Museum, arrived at the ceremony just before its conclusion due to traffic. During his speech, he stated that building a memorial wall is very meaningful. Those documented on it were not sure of success initially but still chose to stand up, “Some were very young, some have been forgotten, but they all did the same thing: at a critical moment, they chose not to remain silent.”
Wang Dan reminded people that often they are accustomed to looking forward but are reluctant to look back, “Yet, I believe that a society unwilling to look back often does not know where to go.”
Looking back on history, he said, “Democracy does not appear suddenly; it is built step by step, with some paying the price and others bearing the consequences, slowly accumulating.”
Wang Dan stated, “By building such a memorial wall, we are telling future generations: the freedom of expression and the right to choose that you enjoy today did not fall from the sky; they will not always exist. We must cherish them, protect them, and remember them.” ◇