In recent years, especially since last year, the rapid changes in the political situation in China, coupled with the emergence of grassroots protests, have prompted many overseas dissidents and groups to come together to discuss strategies, attempting to grasp the trends in the chaos and more effectively promote changes in China.
Last Friday (15th), the Los Angeles Tiananmen Museum, with the co-sponsorship of “The Opposition Party” magazine, held a seminar on the theme of “Intellectuals and Resistance Movements”.
This was one of the series of seminars initiated by the Tiananmen Museum. Independent scholar and a PhD in law, Chen Xiaoping, 1989 student movement leader and Director of “Dialogue China” think tank Dr. Wang Dan, Tiananmen Museum advisor and renowned scholar Wu Zuolai, among others, shared their experiences summarized from the 1989 student movement in a lively discussion to respond to the current changes in China’s political situation. Zheng Cunzhu, President of “The Opposition Party” magazine, and Chief Editor Zhu Yufu attended the seminar. Dozens of individuals concerned about the situation in China were present to listen.
Wang Dan stated that the involvement of intellectuals is crucial in any society’s transition. Reflecting on the 1989 student movement, intellectuals intervened too late, experienced individuals hesitated to step up, most of them stayed in the second or third lines of the movement, allowing inexperienced young students to take the lead.
Wang Dan believed that the 1989 democracy movement, in a way, “is a bit like what Hong Kong people call ‘add oil’,” one positive effect is that it made everyone see the true nature of the Communist Party, though the people (of China) also paid a huge price and sacrifices.
Drawing lessons from history, he hoped that more individuals from the overseas intellectual and business sectors could step forward, adapt to the changing situation, and jointly promote social change in China; they should directly form parties, hold roundtable meetings, and organize a “government in exile,” “this is my expectation for intellectuals,” he said.
In the late 1990s, some people in China attempted to establish the Chinese Democratic Party, and as a result, dozens of individuals were sentenced to heavy prison terms. Zhu Yufu, who attended the seminar, was sentenced to a total of 16 years. He recalled during the question-and-answer session that when he wanted to join one of the eight non-Communist parties within the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference called “Zhigong,” the reply he received was: the Communist Party organization did not approve. Later, the United Front Work Department emphasized specially on his request to join “Zhigong,” making it clear that such people were strictly forbidden from “mixing in.”
He stated that those democratic parties within the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference have always been seen as “flower vase parties,” merely decorating the facade for the Communist Party without any positive impact on society.
Chen Xiaoping remarked in his speech that the Communist Party only allows itself to exclusively enjoy power and does not provide any opportunity for opposing forces to develop within civil society. He said one of the highest indicators of a civil society is the existence of opposition parties; without the development of opposition parties in civil society, it cannot play a role in policy debates or serve as a channel for dialogue between the government and the people.
Regarding some people’s hopes for the reformists within the Communist Party to take action, Chen Xiaoping pointed out that within the Communist system, even the so-called “reformists” would be pushed down in political purges; one should not judge whether the Communist Party will move towards pluralism based on some actions of the reformists, that is just a utopian fantasy, a tragedy is sure to follow.
“I have realized this at the cost of my whole life,” Chen Xiaoping said.
Former Hong Kong media person Cheng Xiang also participated in the discussion. Cheng Xiang was a journalist stationed in Beijing during the 1989 Tiananmen period and had interacted with many core figures in the democratic movement.
He recalled that at that time, there was a kind of “blind optimism” among the intellectual community in Beijing, insufficient awareness of the evil nature of the Communist Party. In 1988, he had debated with Chen Ziming, who participated in the Xidan Democracy Wall, whether the Cultural Revolution would recur. Chen Ziming concluded it wouldn’t, believing that after over a decade of “reform and opening up,” such disasters could not happen again.
Cheng Xiang’s perspective was the opposite: the Communist Party’s “reform and opening up” was only superficial, thus disasters like the Cultural Revolution could occur at any time.
Regarding what the current Chinese people can do, Chairman of the United Headquarters of the Chinese Democratic Party Zheng Cunzhu, interviewed before the meeting, stated that any country in a period of transition particularly needs to mobilize the people; in this process, those intellectuals who understand political theories, and can clearly explain the truth, play an irreplaceable role.
“If the common people all see through the truth of Communist Party’s rule and its lies, in the future, China may disintegrate overnight like the Soviet Union,” Zheng Cunzhu said, history is always remarkably similar, perhaps that scene will appear in China in the not too distant future.
“When that day comes, we won’t be surprised,” he said, “because the people have awakened, everyone is waiting, at a certain special historical period, or triggered by a historical event, the Communist Party will collapse overnight.”
Zheng Cunzhu hoped that individuals from all sectors within the country who have awakened would now take on the responsibility, exert their strength to educate the public on universal values and constitutional human rights, and prepare for that day. ◇