A12 Behind the News SATURDAY, MAY 30, 2009 SOUTH MORNING POST

THE SIXTH IN YEARS ON A SEVEN-PART SERIES 20 CRACKDOWN TODAY: THE Party’s intellectual challenge

Three supporters of the Tiananmen students still question : the highest official jailed the official line, write Josephine Ma and Minnie Chan Bao Tong’s 20- year-old granddaughter knows he was jailed but did not do anything wrong. That is probably all she knows about the man, who is now the most outspoken voice seeking political change in China and vindication of the Tiananmen protesters. “I never told her what happened in 1989, why I Bao Tong with ’s photo. Photo: AFP was jailed, and why I am being watched by so released. The book, leaking state secrets and many people. She entitled Prisoner of the engaging in counter- probably knows only that State in English, is based revolutionary Zhao Ziyang was on about 30 hours of propaganda. He served once a state leader,” said tapes Zhao recorded. The seven years behind bars Mr Bao, 77, pointing to a tapes were secretly and since then has been picture of the late transported out of China under virtual house Communist Party and translated into arrest. His home phone is secretary, for whom he English by Mr Bao’s son, deactivated during was a top aide, displayed Bao Pu , who is also sensitive times, such as in his living room. the publisher of the the National People’s It’s hard to imagine how book’s Chinese version. Congress plenary the highest official to be Bao Tong claims full sessions and around June jailed over the Tiananmen responsibility for the 4. Mr Bao said he could movement, about which book’s publication, which not even get internet he has been so fervent, he said was the last thing access. could say so little about he could do for his close After the book’s his past to someone he friend. The pair were release, Mr Bao was still lives with. accused of sympathising allowed to do interviews “I just want to protect with the students. Zhao as long as journalists her,” he said. “If I tell her was ousted soon after the made appointments with who I am, she’ll tell her crackdown and held him and registered with friends, and her friends under until security guards. But will tell their teacher.” his death in 2005. about a week later, Mr But Mr Bao kept a Mr Bao worked with Bao said he could not talk bigger secret, for years Zhao from 1980 until he to the press and would be SCMP GRAPHIC until Zhao’s memoirs, was taken to ’s away from Beijing until providing a rare insight a week after June 4. into the bloody before the crackdown...... wenty years ago, writings angered paramount leader groups from the age of 12 and his Institute of Political Research at the was arrested on criminal charges late crackdown, were He was charged with Kristine Kwok Beijing labelled , and he was fervent belief in the party until he Chinese Academy of Social Sciences last year after he signed , a them “black sacked from his post as vice- was purged during the Cultural and political adviser to ousted party political manifesto calling for more hands” and president of the University of Revolution. “But the party turned boss Zhao Ziyang has been political rights and democracy in accused them of Science and Technology of China out to be something completely unable to find a proper job in the US China, together with some 300 other : the labour activist conspiring to and expelled from the party. different after 1949. We kept saying or benefit from its social welfare activists. His current whereabouts provoke students The day after the crackdown, the Communist Party should because he is not an American are unknown. Liu was a visiting to take to the Professor Fang and his wife, Li overturn the verdict of June 4. That is citizen. For years, he has relied on scholar at Columbia University in When he left the streets and Shuxian , another “black not correct. The Communist Party the meagre income of his wife, Gao New York City in 1989, but cut short mainland in 1993, Han occupy hand”, were given asylum at the US should confess its sin for opening fire Gao , who was a medical his visit to return to Beijing to Dongfang in order to incite embassy in Beijing, where they hid on its own people.” doctor in China but could only work support the students. wanted nothing more Ta revolution against the Communist until June 25, 1990, before flying to Compared with the as a hospital nursing assistant in the He was one of the “four than to return Party and send the country into Britain on a US Air Force transport disillusionment of Professor Fang, US. The couple now share a humble gentlemen” who staged the immediately. turmoil. plane. They were later transferred to who chose to live in the United townhouse with another family, controversial hunger strike in This was despite the Astrophysicist Fang Lizhi , the US and he now teaches physics States, Professor Yan still refuses to according to their friends in the US. Tiananmen Square to support the four years he had spent political scientist Yan Jiaqi at the University of Arizona. become a US citizen, even after 20 Now aged 66, Professor Yan still student movement and was jailed in jail for his role in and writer Liu Xiaobo were He said he was “forced to years in exile, and laments that since has not really integrated into US for two years after the crackdown. organising worker once China’s most prominent emigrate to the US” because he felt the 1989 crackdown, there are no society. He only got a driver’s licence After his release, Liu continued to protests during the intellectuals, but their names were his life was at risk if he stayed in longer any true communists. The last year. advocate freedom of speech and Tiananmen Square broadcast on television as most- China and he had roots in the US. June 4 crackdown shattered the ideal “I refused US citizenship because promote democracy. He was sent to crackdown. But he knew Han Dongfang on the air. Photo: David Wong wanted criminals in the days of Speaking from his office in of communism and forced Deng to I think I am a Chinese and I should re-education camp for three years in that if he did, the “white terror” that followed the June Tucson, Professor Fang, 73, take China down the road of contribute to the democratic future 1996 for “spreading rumours and authorities were likely to and holds a Mr Han believes the 4 crackdown in 1989. admitted he was not familiar with capitalism to help the nation back to of China,” he said. “To this day, I am libel” and “disturbing public order put him back behind passport. time is growing nearer They were among 23 intellectuals the latest developments in China its feet after the crackdown. still a Chinese, but one without for criticising the Communist Party”. bars. Sixteen years later, Mr Han is director of when the central hunted down by Beijing for and even if he could return to the After the collapse of the Chinese citizenship. In the past 20 years, he has been Mr Han has been the China Labour leadership will admit its supporting the student movement. mainland, he was not sure if he communist bloc countries, “to save “I am very upset that [President] in an out of limbo and house arrest reconciled to his life as Bulletin, a Hong Kong- verdict on the While their paths may have could get used to an environment the rule of the Communist Party, still won’t let us for being one of the few “black an exile in Hong Kong. based group that demonstrations was a converged in 1989, their lives have where he could not express his views Deng Xiaoping decided to further return to China … As a Chinese, we hands” named by the party to In fact, he regards exposes worker abuse. mistake and will reverse taken very different directions in the openly. open up and privatise state should be allowed to return to our continue to confront it openly from himself as lucky He also frequently writes it. “But I don’t think Wen past 20 years. “I was inclined to join the enterprises, and yet led China into a mother country and contribute. inside China. compared with other articles on mainland Jiabao and Hu Professor Fang, then a researcher Communist Party before 1949 communist dictatorship without [a How can he ban us from returning dissidents who settled in labour rights and hosts Jintao are ready at the Beijing Observatory, never because it advocated freedom and belief in] communism,” Professor after 20 years of exile? Why doesn’t Tomorrow’s other countries. programmes on Radio to face that. I don’t think took part in the demonstration opposed the Kuomintang,” Yan said in a phone interview from he let us return and escort us to court Sunday Morning Post “Looking back, it was Free Asia, which are the next generation of because he was aware of his Professor Fang said in a telephone his home in New York City. for an open hearing?” What activists are doing the best choice,” he said. broadcast in the leadership will be ready, dangerous situation. Two years interview, referring to his support of He has paid a heavy price for his An open trial may be what liberal to make sure today’s “Nowhere else could I mainland. either.” before the crackdown, his liberal Communist Party underground choice. The former director of the writer Liu, 54, most wants now. He students don’t forget have achieved as much Mr Han’s group has In the meantime, Mr as I have in helping also been helping Han will continue to work Chinese workers and mainland workers sue for labour rights, such as Wuerkaixi: the fortunate student leader Dan: the guardian of democracy understanding their for better compensation. collective bargaining, on plight as I have in Hong He tended to avoid the mainland. An Kong.” discussing the June 4 empowered labour force, Sitting in an office on the Twenty years have passed minded leaders like Deng Mr Han came to the crackdown, but because he says, is one of the 55th floor of Taipei 101, since the Tiananmen Xiaoping would city after mainland of his involvement in the building blocks of ’s signature crackdown, and choose to shoot people when authorities released him pro-democracy protests, democracy. skyscraper, Wuerkaixi is almost the sole facing problems,” he said. for health reasons. He is his views were constantly ...... admits he has remaining guardian of the “Such disillusion has a permanent resident sought, he said. Yau Chui-yan probably been the , the distanced the people from luckiest of all the exiled statue at the heart of the the government. They aren’t student leaders. student protests. prepared to gamble on it [the “As an exile, I’m “I’ve never considered government achieving : the founder of the fortunate that I can feel a myself the leader of the reforms], which I believe will sense of belonging in Wuerkaixi in Tiananmen Square in May 1989 democracy movement,” said benefit social development.” Taiwan,” he said. “I have and (below) today. Photos: Reuters Dr Wang, who earned a PhD For many, making money Twenty years have raised a family here, and in history and East Asian has taken priority over passed but the pain that has helped me avoid languages from Harvard democratic development. remains the same for the bitterness many of University last month. “But Among the 21 most-wanted Ding Zilin , my other friends in exile I’ve never given up my ideals student leaders, Dr Wang is whose 17-year-old son feel.” just because there are so few Wang Dan is shown (above) in Tiananmen Square in almost alone in continuing was shot Wuerkaixi, 41, is a people willing to devote May 1989; and in Taiwan last Sunday. Photos: AP, AFP the fight. Former comrades- dead near Tiananmen Uygur from Xinjiang’s themselves to opposition in-arms such as Wuerkaixi Square on the night of Ili Kazakh movements.” , , June 3. autonomous prefecture. The 40-year-old from and But this year is In 1989, he was a student Shandong was at are all in business. especially painful for the at Beijing Normal the top of Beijing’s most- “China’s economic boom retired professor as she University and shot to wanted list after the has ruined people’s political has realised it is time to Ding Zilin at her home in Beijing. Photo: AFP fame when China Central recently released mainland can learn a lot crackdown. The Peking passion, which shows how far face reality – the Television showed him memoir. from Taiwan. University student was we have to go in promoting vindication she and other however, constitute a talent and his sense of rebuking then premier Li “I think the suitability “I have learned and arrested in 1990 and ,” he said. families have demanded surrender. Ms Ding said social responsibility,” Ms Peng . After the of democracy has once experienced democracy sentenced to four years in Dr Wang and other is unlikely to be realised they would continue to Ding said. But the crackdown he fled to again been debated over the past 20 years in prison in 1991. He was overseas dissidents have any time soon. record what they learned crackdown destroyed his France and the US, following the publication exile, especially in rearrested for “subversion” launched “White Clothes “The government has about the movement. mother’s happiness. She where he studied at of this book,” he said. Taiwan, where freedom, after his release in 1995 and Day”, calling on as many not changed its attitude Ms Ding joined the began a project to collect Harvard. In 1994, he “More and more social tolerance, respect and sentenced to 11years in jail. mainlanders as possible to one bit … and now Communist Party when the names of all June 4 married Chen Hui-ling, a problems have sprung up individual rights are He was released on medical wear white on June 4. society has changed, we she was 24. Her belief victims and published a Taiwan native, and in in China since the global enthroned,” he said. parole in 1998, and went into “I think the nation and the can’t expect that it still wasn’t shaken even after partial list in 1994. 1996 he moved to Taipei economic slowdown due “I think it’s bad for exile in the . In world will be shocked when cares,” the 73-year-old she was sent to the Tiananmen Mothers was and became a Taiwan to the lack of political mainland people to September, he will be a they see an ocean of white on said. countryside in the born out of this effort. citizen. The couple have reform 20 years ago, criticise Taiwan’s visiting scholar at Taiwan’s terrible to deny a nation the from the wreckage of the June 4,” he said. “The aim The hardest part, Ms in “I cannot forgive a two children. which resulted in an democracy because I National Chengchi University. truth about its history. This student movement – chiefly, isn’t only to mourn victims, Ding said, was telling 1972 when she was party which dares to Wuerkaixi said he was unfair legal system and a believe all Chinese “As a history scholar, I phenomenon makes us a loss of faith in the but also to mark the rebirth other members of the pregnant. Jielian was a shoot its people. I also excited to read former huge gap between rich communities should be believe the government’s wonder how young people government’s ability to of our national spirit – like a Tiananmen Mothers, a gifted child and was cannot forgive a party chief Zhao Ziyang and poor.” Now a proud of Taiwan’s attempt to erase the June 4 can still accept this achieve political reform. phoenix rising from its group she founded for picked to take part in the government that lies.” advocate a managing partner of a achievement.” has been government.” “The cruel crackdown has ashes.” families of the victims, of International Physics ...... parliamentary US investment bank, ...... a disaster for our new Dr Wang said there were awakened the Chinese ...... the new reality. Facing Olympiad in 1979. “I was Kristine Kwok and democratic system in his Wuerkaixi says the Minnie Chan generations,” he said. “It is some positives to emerge people to the fact even open- Minnie Chan reality does not, so proud of my boy’s Minnie Chan