Last Sunday (September 29), on the occasion of the Chinese Communist Party celebrating 75 years of seizing power in China, hundreds of people braved high temperatures at the Freedom Sculpture Park in Southern California to attend the unveiling ceremony of the “Freedom Bell” and pledged to ring the death knell of the CCP’s regime.
The temperature in the Mojave Desert reached 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius) that afternoon. Many prominent human rights activists and scholars concerned about Chinese human rights came from California and around the world, including Wang Juntao and Ning Xianhua from New York, Sheng Xue from Canada, Chen Weijian from Australia, Li Youtan and Zeng Jianyuan from Taiwan, and Jin Xiuhong from Seattle.
The brass Freedom Bell, donated by the Freedom Bell Democracy Foundation, hangs inside a quaint black pavilion in the sculpture park, weighing over 200 kilograms and slightly smaller in size than the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia.
Before the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Wang Juntao, the chair of the Chinese Democratic Party Full Committee, delivered the first speech of the day. He mentioned the inscription on the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia declaring freedom for people around the world and said, “At this moment, here, ringing the bell for the first time is to not forget that 75 years ago, the Chinese people across the ocean fell into a state of enslavement.” He emphasized, “Our main purpose of being here today is to express the Chinese people’s longing for freedom.”
Amid the solemn anticipation of the crowd, Sheng Xue, Wang Xizhe, Ning Xianhua, and others rang the bell together, the sound spreading through the desert towards the distance.
The founder of the Freedom Sculpture Park, sculptor Chen Weiming, thanked the guests for coming from afar. He stated that the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia symbolizes American freedom and independence, and now they have a freedom bell with Chinese characteristics, symbolizing the ideals and pursuit of democracy and freedom by their generation, marking the ringing of the death knell for communist dictatorship.
During the guest speeches, Sheng Xue pointed out the necessity for people to have freedom to realize their dreams, but under the tyranny of the CCP, over a billion people are enslaved. The CCP arbitrarily arrests and massacres Chinese people, showing no regard for human life, making it an unforgivable, inhumane regime; the erection of the Freedom Bell is meant to alert and inspire people, hoping it will ring the death knell of the CCP’s state terrorism.
Li Youtan, an adjunct professor at National Chengchi University in Taiwan, expressed his pleasure in being on the “land of freedom and the home of the brave” in the US. He emphasized that the bell ringing at present serves as a warning against the threat of CCP’s authoritarian rule. Over the years, the CCP has infiltrated globally using the “white ants policy” from Hong Kong and Taiwan to the US and the world, and it is essential for people to be alert to the CCP’s infiltration.
Zhuyufu, a founding member of the Chinese Democratic Party, attended the unveiling ceremony despite illness. He described the day as an important one in the history of the Chinese democracy movement, expressing his excitement and deep emotions. Having experienced political persecution in CCP prisons, he emphasized that China’s democratic process was interrupted in 1949 by the CCP, plunging China into unprecedented dark dictatorial times that continue deepening.
Zeng Jianyuan, Director of the Citizen Oversight Congress and the Association of Chinese Democratization, emphasized that the Freedom Bell symbolizes the strong will of the Chinese people to pursue freedom. He added that the Freedom Sculpture Park has become an oasis symbolizing the Chinese people’s quest for freedom, stating his strong support as a Taiwanese for the democratic endeavors of the Chinese people.
During a significant moment where overseas Chinese were fighting for democracy and freedom in China, various crises were intensifying under the CCP’s rule on the mainland.
Yao Cheng, a former Colonel Staff Officer of the Chinese Navy Headquarters and military expert, analyzed the four major crises the CCP regime faces:
1. Political crisis. The CCP’s internal conflicts during the recent Third Plenary Session of the Twentieth Central Committee and the Beidaihe Conference were notably intense, leading to severe splits within the party.
2. Economic crisis. The economy of mainland China is on the verge of collapse and cannot be sustained for long.
3. Social crisis. High unemployment rates, lack of protection for people’s rights, and various factors of dissatisfaction in society are intensifying. People’s awareness of democracy and individual rights is increasing, and the CCP is sitting on a powder keg.
4. Military crisis. Yao Cheng observed that the military environment around the CCP is extremely unfavorable, facing war risks on all fronts. He stated that the CCP as a whole is unsustainable, yet it will “struggle to the end” and not easily relinquish power.
Yao Cheng mentioned a recent trend in Sri Lanka and South America where, when people overthrow the government, the military does not stand on the government’s side to oppress. He hoped that Chinese military personnel would protect the interests of the people and not uphold the CCP.
Regarding the plight of the Chinese people, Yao Cheng expressed great sympathy, urging people to seek government assistance, resort to litigation, and protect and fight for their rights when facing pressure, rather than resorting to negative ways like self-harm or suicide.
The host, Fu Hanling, expressed hope for uniting more like-minded individuals to contribute to China’s democracy movement collectively. She especially called on young people to join and witness the day when CCP’s dictatorship would end.
Other guests present at the unveiling of the Freedom Bell included Wang Min, Jin Xiuhong, Wang Xizhe, Zheng Yun, Xiao Yunjun, and Ge Kun. Participating organizations comprised the Freedom Bell Democracy Foundation, the Chinese Democratic Party, the Awakening Front, the Freedom Sculpture Park, Young China, the Universe Lodge, the Chinese Human Rights Alliance, the Chinese Democratic Education Foundation, and the Chinese Human Rights Alliance. ◇