HAOL, Núm. 4 (Primavera, 2004), 75-82 ISSN 1696-2060
THE BETRAYAL OF DEMOCRACY: TIANANMEN'S SHADOW OVER JAPAN
Jing Zhao* US-Japan-China Comparative Policy Research Institute, USA. E-mail: [email protected] net.msu.edu *Presidente del US-Japan-China Comparative Policy Research Institute, San Jose, California, EEUU.
Recibido: 18 Marzo 2004 / Revisado: 22 Abril 2004 / Aceptado: 14 Mayo 2004 / Publicado: 15 Junio 2004
Resumen: The Chinese people's heroic struggle demonstration. The Cold War ended abruptly for political freedom in 1989 encouraged East under the stimulus of the Tiananmen Square Europe and the USSR to abandon their single- Incident. Regrettably, however, fifteen years party system. The Cold War ended abruptly after the incident, the regional political under the stimulus of the Tiananmen Square framework in East Asia has not become more Incident. This article explores the other dark secure; instead, it has become more turbulent. side of the Tiananmen Incident in the international stage: its deep shadow over Japan. There are several factors to illustrate why the Based on the author's personal experience, the Tiananmen Incident stimulated a worldwide article records, reviews and analyzes Japan's democratic movement, but at the same time cast failure in its political transformation in the a deep shadow over the East Asian politics until region during this historical period from two today. First of all, needless to say, China's aspects: 1) Why and how the Japanese political system basically remains the same as government had to engage China economically?; before, and those who were responsible for the 2) Why and how the Japanese government incident, directly or indirectly, are still staying betrayed democracy and human rights regarding power in China. Second, Japan's failure in its China? The article concludes that Sino-Japanese political transformation in the region during relations should be based on principles of human thishistorical period also deserves serious review rights and democracy. and analysis. History provided Japan the rare Palabras Clave: betrayal, China, democracy, opportunity to play a role as "global civilian economy, human rights, Japan, Soviet Union, power"2 during and especially after the Cold Tiananmen Square. War. There were high expectations, mostly ______outside of East Asia, for Japan to take initiative in promoting human rights and democracy in ollowing the June 4th Tiananmen Square East Asia, especially after the incident. Incident of 1989, one after another, all F Leninist regimes1in East Europe For example, in "the first systematic, collapsed, in an eerie reversal of the so-called comparative, and theoretical exploration of 'domino theory'. Then in 1991 the Soviet Union democratization in East Asia"3, American astonishingly dissolved itself. It is not an political scientist Edward Friedman concluded: exaggeration to say that the Chinese people's heroic struggle for political freedom encouraged "Taking Japanese democracy seriously, Sato East European and the USSR people to abandon and Arase describe likely changes in the their single-party system, and Beijing's brutal direction of international human rights activism oppression and the consequent isolation from in Japan that would be inconceivable according international society also taught the East to explanations premised solely on cultural European regimes, especially the USSR continuity and socioeconomic interest. They leadership, to refrain from using military forces illuminate the particular political forces that so to crush their own people's peaceful far have kept Japan from becoming a leader in
© Historia Actual Online 2004 75 The betrayal of democracy Jing Zhao human rights diplomacy in Asia. These political In a recent book referring to the Japanese forces can be changed or be defeated. There are government's response to the incident, the already tendencies in the direction of change. authors describe how Japan was instrumental in The democratic potential of Asia looks much pulling the G7 countries back into engaging larger if one does not find a permanent China after the Tiananmen Square killings. A Japanese cultural obstacle blocking a change to reviewer of this book commented: "Their a policy of promoting human rights". argument that Japan's 'quiet' (i.e. low-key, low- "The authors of the chapters on a future risk) diplomacy has not been adequately Japanese policy on human rights, as do all the recognized is a strong one"5. This becomes authors in this book, find more that is species- common sense in the Western world. It argues wide in the East Asian experience, including the that Japan "engaged" China differently from multiple potential of its complex and rich other Western countries: to persuade other culture, than is expected by theories premised Western countries to remove economic on an essentialist and monolithic notion of sanctions against China. However, there is culture and socioeconomic preconditions"4. another side of the same 'engagement' coin: Japan traded with the Beijing regime on how to It is beyond this essay's scope to examine the handle the fate of Chinese people who were "theories premised solely on culture and participated in human rights and democracy socioeconomic preconditions". However, it is activities in Japan. obvious that the Japanese politics after the incident did not change as Professor Friedman 1. WHY THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT (and many others outside of East Asia) HAD TO 'ENGAGE' CHINA expected. We need to explore further and deeper ECONOMICALLY the dialectic of the Japan's role in the context of Sino-Japanese political relations. To do so, The Japanese government's stance on economic people first need to know how the Japanese sanctions was nonetheless reasonable, government responded to the Tiananmen understandable, and, perhaps, rational for its Incident. national interest. First of all, it was impossible for the Japanese government to join the This incident was a turning point for 'international' economic sanction against China contemporary Sino-Japanese relations, by suspending or freezing its ODA loan to especially for the 'friendship' between the two China6. Until 1989, the Japanese government governments. As a comparison, let us consider a and all Japanese political parties had been typical case just before the incident, indicating headed by senior Japanese who were born the unequal, asymmetric relationship between during the war. They understood that Japan's the two governments. A Japanese Ministry of ODA loan to China was a kind of substitute of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) Deputy Minister Japan's war reparations to China. The then suggested that Japan not take Deng Xiaoping's Japanese Prime Minister Uno stated soon after words seriously, because Deng was no longer in the incident regarding the massacre: "We do not charge of Sino-Japanese relations in details. He have the slightest intention of taking punitive described Deng "sitting above the clouds." The sanctions against China"7. Uno was only a result was that the Japanese government had to temporary substitute because the ruling LDP remove him from his MOFA position upon could not decide who would be the Prime receiving China's diplomatic protest. Minister in a short time8. Ito Masayoshi, an old friend of China" who had just refused to take the This kind of case, that Japanese senior officials Prime Minister position, rushed to China to offer being removed because of their 'reckless advice. The Chinese government knew Ito's remarks' toward China, would never happen intention to "teach us a lesson". Ito was told that again after the Tiananman Incident. The China's Prime Minister Li Peng was visiting a Japanese government fully utilized the "ten-thousand people pit"9 in Northeast China. opportunity provided from this incident to Ito had to fly to Japan's former puppet regime's transform the 'granted friendship' (from Beijing) territory to meet Li Peng. It was clear who could to a 'normal' (equal, symmetric) relationship teach whom a lesson in that place. At the same with China when the Beijing regime was time, it was also reported that Eishiro Saito, the isolated from the majority of the international head of Keidanren (Japan's big-business world. organization), urged no change in economic relations with China, "As Prime Minister Li 76 © Historia Actual Online 2004
Jing Zhao The betrayal of democracy Peng said, China is now trying to see who its section further explores why the Japanese real friends are"10. government could not use "democracy" or "human rights" card against China. As the representative of Chinese students in the Osaka area organizing democratic activities 2. HOW DID THE JAPANESE before, during and after the incident, I GOVERNMENT 'ENGAGE' CHINA witnessed, experienced and protested against POLITICALLY Japan's handling of this incident. With regard to the economic sanction issue, I wrote a statement While different people have different views on of our organization, Kansai Area Chinese Japan's economic stance, Japan's political stance Student Association for a Democratic China, at after the Tiananmen Incident sent an Osaka Press Club requesting the Japanese unambiguous signal to people all over the world. government to reconsider its ODA policy when The Japanese government's mistreatment of the regime in Beijing was obviously oppressing ordinary Chinese people, sometimes in the name its own people11. From the Chinese people's of Beijing's request, remains a dark record in point of view, a quick response, at least a serious contemporary Sino-Japanese history since the warning, from the outside world to the ongoing 'normalization' of their relationship in 1972. mass killings conducted by any regime, is morally necessary. In the long term, however, It was reported that the Japanese government after the mass killings were over, economic had a secret agreement with the Chinese sanctions are neither necessary nor effective. government not to grant Chinese political Thus the criticism of Japan's 'low-key' asylum15. Although it was impossible to verify diplomacy did not receive wide response, even this report, it was widely believed by Chinese in though it does not deserve any praise. Japan, from the very fact that no Chinese had been granted such a status, that Chinese laws, In general, Japan's ODA policy has long been not Japanese laws, apply to Chinese people in criticized by many NPO/NGO groups, inside Japan. And this belief itself worked well to and outside of Japan, for various reasons. The prevent any Chinese from becoming involved main problem is that it serves the Japanese any activity in Japan not complying with overseas business (especially, big infrastructure Chinese government's policy. In 1987 after firms)12 and the corrupt recipient regimes (such Professor Fang Lizhi and other liberal as Marcos' Philippine and Suharto's Indonesia), intellectuals were expelled from the CCP, while rather than the people of the recipient countries, hundreds of Chinese students in the US signed especially in Southeast Asia. These criticisms an open petition letter, only one Chinese student forced the Japanese government to revise its (I myself) in Japan sent a similar letter, to the general ODA policy after 1992 and one of the CCP leadership. This is simply because every new guidelines is to link human rights and Chinese student in Japan knew that Chinese in democracy issues to the ODA. Although the Japan have no human rights protection from the Tiananmen Incident image was still strong Japanese government. among the Japanese public, no Japanese official or commentator explicitly referred to China. The When I organized a political consciousness much smaller Myanmar was the obvious case to survey among Chinese students in the Osaka apply for these new guidelines because its area and published the result in a Chinese military regime's legitimacy per se was under magazine Yan Min, for which I was the chief question. editor. The result was then cited by Hong Kong's Cheng Min monthly and Taiwan's In 1995, backed by Japanese people's attitude Central Daily in January 1988. Consequently, change toward China13, and reflecting the Yan Min was shut down16. I was 'reminded' by structural change of the Japanese politics after Chinese consulate officials that Japan didn't the Tiananmen Incident, the Japanese accept Chinese political asylum seekers, even I government for the first time sent a clear 'No!' had no intention to seek such a status17. signal to China by freezing a small fraction of that year's ODA to China. Unfortunately, instead Soon after the Tiananmen Incident, a female of human rights or democracy issues, Japan used staff working in the Chinese Tokyo embassy, the irrelevant excuse of protesting China's two Ma Qiuyun, had to flee to West Germany after nuclear tests, emphasizing its unique experience her failed attempt to seek political asylum from as the nuclear victim country14. The following the Japanese government. It was widely known
© Historia Actual Online 2004 77 The betrayal of democracy Jing Zhao that Yang Zhenya, the PRC Ambassador to would be safe to return to China, the Japanese Japan, belong to Hu Yaobang's Communist government utilized this pretext to reject every Youth League faction. Ambassador Yang cried Chinese student's desire to stay in Japan for openly for Hu's death and permitted his staff to political reasons23. The typical answers from the join our demonstration. The chief editor18 of the Japanese immigration officials to Chinese official Chinese student magazine in Tokyo students expressing the desire to stay in Japan area, Xindalu (New Continent), asked me to were: "Just submit a letter of apology for your provide our petition letter and signatures19. He dissident activities to the Chinese government published them in Xindalu. and you'll be fine. Your government has promised not to persecute you if you do so". The CCTV broadcast of Deng Xiaoping "Stop acting like a baby. You will not find any receiving the PLA generals in Beijing on June help from our Japanese government"24. 8th sent the final signal to the world that the situation was under his firm control. To In one case, Rikkyo University received everyone inside the Chinese government, this pressure from both the Japanese and Chinese means "the game is over". Yang avoided governments not to issue doctorate degree to a meeting Chinese students but he appeared in the Chinese student Yang Zhongmei, who was a Japanese media and promised that no Chinese Chinese students representative in Tokyo area, student would be punished for his/her even though his dissertation, a book on Mao demonstration activity in Japan. Even though Zedong's seizing power in the famous CCP this statement was an obvious lie20, the Japanese Zunyi Meeting during the Long March, had government needed this pretext. Yang was been published in Chinese, Japanese and called back to China later and was forced to English. He was the only fortunate Chinese retire early. Tang Jiaxuan, the PRC Minister- activist in Japan to receive protection from the counselor to Japan, was in charge of handling US government. He obtained a passport from this incident in Japan. Taiwan and was hired by the Washington Post as its Tokyo "correspondent". When the To "calm down" Chinese students' democratic Japanese and Chinese governments knew that activity in Japan, Tang collaborated with the United States President Bush also replied a letter willing Japanese government. He claimed that to him, which was published in Democratic the Chinese government would "forgive" any China monthly (in Chinese), no one could do Chinese students for their "naive anti- harm to him. government" activities, and he has burnt all petitions or any other relevant materials21 so With the collaboration of the Chinese every Chinese student could return to China government, the Japanese government also safely. The Japanese government was happy to provided a few carrots. For example, Kobe have this "guarantee" from the Chinese University, a privileged national university government, because it provided them with the directly under Japan's Education Ministry excuse to ruthlessly violate Chinese people's (hence its faculty are all Japanese government human rights in Japan. officials/employees), provided an associate professorship of Law for a Chinese student in Japan has signed the Universal Declaration of Kyoto University for his role to collect Human Rights and the UN Convention on information of, and to control Chinese student Refugees. The Japanese citizen Sadako Ogata, democratic movement, even without Ph. D an international law professor on US-Japan- degree. The Japanese media reported this as an China relations, was the UN High example of Japanese government's measure to Commissioner for Refugee (UNHCR) at that "protect Chinese students". Did Kobe University time. Japan also signed the official pledge on dare to hire him if the Chinese government June 7th at the 1989 G7 Summit in Paris to simply did not extend his PRC passport? How protect Chinese students by extending the stays could his family came to Japan so rapidly and of those Chinese students "who so desire". The easily while all Chinese people in China actually Japanese Education Minister also answered in were stopped the process to apply for passports the Japanese Diet that the Japanese government and visas soon after the incident? No need to had taken "necessary measures", such as in visa mention that hundreds of Chinese students in extension and scholarship assistance, to protect Japan could not reunion with their families for Chinese students. This proved to be a lie22. Since years! Tang Jiaxuan had claimed that Chinese students 78 © Historia Actual Online 2004
Jing Zhao The betrayal of democracy My own case provides another example to show current regimes' "friendship" on the cost of how the Japanese government responded to the sacrificing Chinese people's human rights. incident. Osaka University, Japan's State Public Security Committee (kokka koan iinkai, the Eventually, the Japanese government issued notorious secret police), and local Japanese "designated activities" (tokutei katsudo) visas to police approached me to test what kind of 34 Chinese activists31. Most of them were position I would accept for exchange to stop my language school students and members of Front "anti-government" activity25. The Japanese for a Democratic China (FDC, or Minzhen, authority soon knew that I had no willing to headquarters in Paris). This visa status needed make a deal with them. When my PRC passport renewing every three months32. To renewal this would expire, I expressed my intention to apply status, these Chinese had to prove that they were for political asylum status, so that I could keep engaged in "designated activity." Typically, they my legal student visa status. The university had to show demonstration against important officials tried to avoid me, and then threaten that Chinese government VIPs (such as the PRC if I would apply, "the consequence would be President Jiang Zemin, Prime Minister Li Peng, worse". My supervisor professor told me that Beijing's CCP Secretary Chen Xitong) who were Osaka University was preparing to expel me visiting Japan. This visa was used as a dirty card with the excuse of "unable to continue normal by the Japanese government to control these study" (shugyo mikomi nashi) if I could not get Chinese activists to push them against the my passport extended26. I went to Osaka Chinese government: "Dear PRC President, Immigration Bureau (the notorious before you teach us about history, how about nyukankyoku) to inquire any possible method to first listening to your citizens' protest?" It is not stay "legally" without a passport. The difficult to image how the Chinese government immigration officials refused to accept me; would persecute these Chinese citizens (and instead, they told me to go Tokyo27. their families in China) who dare to humiliate its own leaders in the international public33. These Finally, I had to sign a statement, in Japanese, Chinese activists became hostages of the prepared by my supervisor professor, expressing Japanese government to serve Japan's "national my "regret" for participating in activities "not interest". appropriate" for student and my promise to suspend any political activity as long as I stay in Twelve years after the incident, the Japanese the university. Osaka University also promised government finally granted the first and only me scholarship and professorship, but both I and Chinese political asylum application case. Zhao the university knew that this was a convenient Nan was a language school student in Osaka lie. What Osaka University needed was to force when I went to his school to collect petition me to get passport extension for another year, signatures and donation. He lost his language which the PRC Osaka Consulate General did student visa soon after the incident and thus it after receiving my signed statement. Upon my became 'illegal' for him to stay in Japan. Based graduation, even though I was the first student on his democratic movement experience with ever to receive Ph. D in Sociology in the Wei Jingsheng in 1978-79 and the subsequent university, I couldn't find a research position in two-year sentence in labor camp, we judged that any Japanese institute. The Japanese Education he had the biggest chance to obtain the political Ministry had promised the PRC government that asylum status and supported him in the decade- Japanese institutes would not "ruin" their long court struggle. FDC was publicly declared "friendship" with the Beijing regime by by the Chinese government as a 'reactionary accepting me28. organization' and its members in China were sentenced to twenty-year or life-long terms in This was what the Beijing regime did for its own prison. How could the Japanese government citizens29 in Japan. For his accomplishment to continue to claim that FDC's Japan branch head "calm down" the Chinese democratic activity in is safe to return to China? Japan with the collaboration from the Japanese government, Tang Jiaxuan was promoted to The above-mentioned cases have a common Assistant Minister of PRC Ministry of Foreign condition: these Chinese people were originally Affairs in 1991, then to Vice Minister in 1993. "legal" students in Japan when the Tiananmen He was promoted further to the Minister Incident happened. This condition greatly position in 199830. A troubled future of Sino- troubled the Japanese government. In other Japanese relations is guaranteed under the two cases, there were some Chinese people who
© Historia Actual Online 2004 79 The betrayal of democracy Jing Zhao arrived in Japan "illegally", i.e., without valid became another fact that he/she would receive passport or visa. The Japanese government and persecution from the Chinese government. media simply labeled them "criminals" or "false refugees" and denied their human rights from In another case, a Chinese government the beginning. delegation translator left his team during their visit to Tokyo. He went to the Tokyo Let's think of the case of Zhang Zhenhai, who Immigration Bureau to seek political asylum but with his wife and child, hijacked a Chinese was locked up in the immigration facility. domestic airplane and forced the plane to land in Knowing that his leaving the delegation without a Japanese airport in December 1989. The permit had become an action of defection, the Japanese government immediately stated to send Japanese immigration officials were 'kind' the Zhang family back to China. Although a enough to make up a sick certificate and bought hijack is a criminal action, the hijacker still has the ticket for him. The Immigration officials the rights to receive a fair judgment. Zhang then forcibly drove him to the airport. actually didn't bring anything dangerous to the Fortunately, he was strong enough to push away plane. He just threatened the plane in word. His the two Japanese immigration officials at the wife and child were with him in the same plane. airport and found FDC's Tokyo office. He was It is apparent that he just wanted to use this also able to obtain a certificate from UNHCR's unusual method to flee from China without the Japan Office. Since his major is Japanese, Japan real intention to harm the plane. He should have should be the right country for him to seek been given the right to be tried in Japan. Some refugee and live in. However, the Japanese people further argued that at least Zhang's wife government still refused to recognize his refugee and child should be given the right to apply for status. People wonder for what reason Japan political asylum. An American attorney was signed the Universal Declaration of Human ready to come to help the Zhang family Rights and the UN Convention on Refugees. voluntarily, but the Japanese government sent How could Professor Ogata provide protection the wounded Zhang back to China before the to international refugees as the UNHCR American attorney came to Japan. Zhang commissioner even the government, which sent received 8-year sentence upon being sent back her to the UN, does not respect human rights in to China. It was reported that the Japanese its own territory? government requested China not to execute Zhang. In this regard, where is Japan's judiciary It became obvious to the Chinese activists in independence? What is China's judiciary Japan that we had to leave Japan, even though indepence when it try its citizen under a foreign other western countries had closed their doors to request? us. Some in the early years went to East Europe when these countries didn't require visa for PRC The case of boat people further revealed the passport holders35. Others bought air tickets ridiculousness of the Japanese judiciary from Japan to Mexico. Since the airplane stops independence. A Chinese girl Lin Guizhen at Los Angeles, they could seek political asylum arrived the Japanese coast with other fellow from the US at Los Angeles airport. When this Chinese by boat in September 1989. As other kind of method became impossible (the airline "false refugees", she was locked up in an companies refused Chinese people boarding immigration facility, waiting to be sent back to without valid visa), some used Japanese friend's China. But a Japanese journalist successfully passport, some went Seoul airport and from interviewed her and the video clearly showed there boarded a plane for the US Some had to that she came to Japan to seek political asylum. buy other third country's passport or visa. A Japanese attorney appealed the local Japanese Families were split without the hope of a court on behalf of her requesting the Japanese reunion in the near future. It is no wonder that government to release her. However, the NHK (Japan's state broadcasting association) Japanese government forcibly repatriated her to received a couple of letters from Chinese China on August 14, 199134. Unlike other fellow students threatening to kill Japanese in China. Chinese, she received two-year term in labor camp, obviously for her courage to requesting This is the darkest time of Sino-Japanese her human rights outside of China's territory. relations after the war. This is a grand betrayal That was a time when the very action of a of democracy. In the short term, the Japanese Chinese citizen applying for political asylum government gained from its mistreatment of Chinese ordinary people. However, in the long 80 © Historia Actual Online 2004
Jing Zhao The betrayal of democracy term, it became a precedent record of sacrificing Japan's sovereignty; it missed the historical word enjo, so toward China, Japan uses the word opportunity offered to it to establish its 'cooperation' (kyoryoku). The newest official international reputation as a democratic global Japanese record shows that in 20 years from 1979 to civilian power; it also educates every Chinese 1998, Japan transferred to China a total of $13.184 people that a Chinese has no human rights billion in ODA. It includes $9.900 billion in interest- protected from Japan36. bearing loans that required repayment; $2.528 billion in "mutually beneficial technical cooperation" funding with strings attached to buy from Japan; and The heroic, repressed and betrayed 1989 $0.756 billion without strings attached or repayment democratic movement provided us with a requirements. Check the web site of Ministry of historical lesson: Treating every Chinese people Foreign Affairs of Japan at based on his/her human rights, regardless of
© Historia Actual Online 2004 81 The betrayal of democracy Jing Zhao
Yan Min Incident was the "most serious political 30 Jiang Zeming's failure visit to Japan in 1998 mistake since the 1972 normalization of Sino- provides another explanation why Jiang selected Japanese relations". "Your case has been discussed in Tang Jiaxuan as PRC Foreign Minister. To prepare the Politburo". I had to cancel my Europe trip Jiang's visit, the whole negotiation process went far because I was ordered to hand over my PRC off normal diplomatic practice. The Japanese side passport. They were afraid that I would flee from soon found that, not the Japan expert and Foreign Japan. Minister Tang, but Zeng Qinghong (Jiang's former 18 He was studying at Tokyo University at that time, secretary in Shanghai, then CCP Central Committee but he moved from Osaka University. He told me Office director) was making the decision. Without that Yang encouraged him doing so. even the right to handle Jiang's visit to Japan, Tang 19 I wrote the petition. I also organized a Jiaxuan certainly is not allowed to intervene the more demonstration in downtown Osaka and collected important affairs such as Sino-American relations, Chinese student signatures to support the democratic the Taiwan problem, or Hong Kong affairs. What movement in China on April 17th soon after Hu kind of job can he do as a Minister? The only Yaobang's death on April 15th. This is the first time important diplomatic task to show that he was in in Japan that Chinese students openly demonstrated charge was to send a defected North Korean official against their government's reactionary policy. to South Korea. Jiang Zeming selected Tang Jiaxuan 20 After his statement, my scholarship was because Jiang wanted to show that he himself is in suspended. (I was sent to Japan to study Sociology charge of PRC's foreign policy. Since Tang Jiaxuan by the PRC Education Ministry since 1986). is not an American expert, he has to show that he 21 These petitions were not to him. But no one dared knows the US, so he frequently uses English (from below), no one cared (from above) to question expressions for some core concepts of PRC's foreign him. policy. 22 Osaka University's Foreign Student Department 31 Human Rights Watch, 1993 World Report: Japan, officials kindly told me: "Are you so stupid not [on-line document]. Available from internet at: knowing that our politicians, especially those in the
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