As the 36th anniversary of the “June Fourth Incident” approaches, the difficult situation of Zhang Shijun, a former soldier from the martial law unit who was expelled from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) army for refusing to suppress students, has once again caught attention. Last August, 55-year-old Zhang Shijun suffered a sudden heart attack but was forced to leave the hospital early and was unable to complete formal procedures because he could not afford the high medical expenses. His medical insurance account had long been suspended, leading to even the minimum coverage being halted, making it difficult for him to afford medication. He is currently working on completing a personal memoir about the 1989 Beijing martial law.
Zhang Shijun was originally a soldier in the 162nd Division of the 54th Group Army of the CCP, who witnessed the crackdown on the “June Fourth” protests in 1989. After witnessing soldiers shooting at students and applying for early retirement, he was rejected and subsequently expelled on grounds of “bourgeois liberalization” and “refusal to carry out martial law orders”. In 1992, he expressed dissatisfaction publicly and was sentenced to three years of re-education through labor.
During the 35th anniversary of “June Fourth” last year, on May 27, Zhang Shijun was taken by the Tengzhou Public Security Bureau in Shandong to a “forced tour” in Guilin, Guangxi, for nearly ten days.
Radio Free Asia reported on May 28 that although Zhang Shijun has not yet received a notice for the “tour” from national security this year, a friend of his, Mr. Lu (name withheld for personal safety reasons), stated that Zhang’s living conditions are very difficult, as he cannot afford to buy medication to treat his illness. “In August last year, Zhang Shijun was hospitalized for a sudden heart attack. Due to his inability to pay the high medical expenses, he was quickly discharged from the hospital and treatment was terminated. It has been almost a year since his discharge, but he has not completed the discharge procedures yet. The reason is that the current hospital reimbursement system – discharging means settling the bill.”
Zhang Shijun confirmed the authenticity of his friend’s statements, stating that he is currently at his hometown, but he is unable to be interviewed for various reasons.
Another friend of Zhang Shijun, Lao Kong, revealed that as the anniversary of “June Fourth” approaches, local national security has been implementing stability maintenance measures and controlling online public opinion. He said, “Perhaps the police don’t have much budget, I haven’t heard of anyone being taken out of town for ‘tourism,’ but since Zhang Shijun has not received a notification, he probably won’t be able to leave, they (the police) don’t have the money.”
In 2009, Zhang Shijun wrote an open letter to Chinese President Hu Jintao calling for a reversal of the verdict on the “June Fourth” incident. He was the first member of the martial law unit to publicly repent, which alerted local authorities and he was placed under soft detention. Over the past decade, he has struggled to make ends meet and has been living day-to-day doing odd jobs, such as teaching Go, which was interrupted during the epidemic.
Mr. Wang, a knowledgeable person from Shandong, mentioned that Zhang Shijun is over fifty years old, his health is deteriorating, and he is currently working on completing a personal memoir about the 1989 Beijing martial law. He said, “Zhang Shijun’s book is almost finished. He told me, ‘I want to leave behind this historical account, it is my moral responsibility.'”
Mr. Wang also mentioned that when Zhang Shijun was discharged from the hospital last year, his daily medication cost about 20 yuan, but now he almost has no money to buy medication. “His medical insurance has been cut off, the low medical treatment fees provided by the government have to go through the grassroots government for distribution. His story is a mirror of contemporary Chinese history and a cruel footnote on how the system treats ‘people of conscience’.”