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Prison Is a Different Kind of Life

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Prison Is a Different Kind of Life CHINA RIGHTS FORUM | NO. 4, 2007 PRISON IS A DIFFERENT KIND OF LIFE By Yi Ping In 2002, after 13 years of exile, Yang Jianli returned to my passport. Going back this time, I had to use illegal China to investigate the rights defense movement. He was means to highlight nonviolent resistance: there’s no reas- arrested for using a fake passport and not released until on for you not to allow me back, so I will use illegal means April 27, 2007, after serving a five-year sentence. Ren Yu to resist. Citizens resist evil laws “unlawfully,” while vol - Ren Quan editor Yi Ping interviews Yang Jianli on his untarily accepting the imposition of legal sanctions at prison experience, the effect on his family, and his advice the same time. This is Gandhi’s “civil disobedience.” for other political prisoners. Also, I was very concerned about the labor movement and Yi Ping (Yi): First of all, I want to congratulate you on had a lot of contacts in the movement around the coun - your return to the U.S. and on being reunited with your try. I wrote several essays on nonviolent resistance espe - family after suffering so much during your five years in cially for them, at their request. I needed to investigate prison. The ambiguity that marks China’s authoritarian the Chinese labor movement, to understand it for myself, system is well known to everyone . B y going back in to be part of it and to have real contact with the workers. 2002, weren’t you leaping right into the net? Can you say something about why you went back? What were Furthermore, by returning myself, I hoped to encour - your thoughts when you were arrested and sent to age others to return and be involved in the democracy prison ; for example, how long did you think the sen - movement. There are a lot of dissidents overseas who tence would be ? What kind of interrogation or are prevented from returning, but who can only truly mis treatment did you expect? fulfill their potential by returning to China. We have to break through the government’s barriers and return to Yang Jianli (Yang): At the time, the labor movement our own country. was on the rise, especially in the northeast. It seemed to me to be part of a great trend, the start of a movement Yi: Your taking the risk to return to China was actually in China of people protecting their own rights and very rational then . One could say it was the result of interests . My sense that I needed to go back was very careful consideration. strong. I felt I couldn’t do otherwise. Yang: My plans were very carefully laid, from entry to Around 2000, I had come to the end of a certain stage in exit . I was prepared for a number of contingencies. I my own academic pursuits and in my work. I had writ - assessed the possibility of my being arrested on my ten some essays on the nonviolent resistance move - return to be minimal . And, if I was caught, I didn’t ment . Then , when the Chinese labor movement started, think I would be imprisoned for more than two or especially in the northeast, I felt that this trend would three years, maybe only one or two. I hoped I would get set off a chain reaction, something the facts later bore in, and get out, smoothly. out . The weiquan movement 1 took off nationally and more and more weiquan lawyers joined in. So it was Yi: How were you arrested then? time for me to go back. To be more specific, I had three goals for going back at th e time : Yang: It was happenstance, due to a minor slip up. If that hadn’t happened, I would have carried it off. Dur - First, it was illegal for me to enter China—I had no pass - ing questioning they told me: “We nearly let you get port. After 1989, the Chinese Consulate refused to renew away with it.” PRISON IS A DIFFERENT KIND OF LIFE | 57 I was arrested because I used a fake ID—which many Yang: That’s a painful question , a dilemma for all pris - travelers use for the sake of convenience—to stay in a oners of conscience. It’s a double-edged sword and hotel. In the interior I had no problem using the ID ; the there’s no way around it. Mature dissidents deal with trouble came at the border, trying to leave. The drug going to prison because this is their personal choice; trade is so rampant in Yunnan that border security is but their families suffer because they are implicated by especially strict. I tried to leave from Xishuangbanna, association. When I got out of prison , I saw a number they discovered that my ID was fake, and I was taken of comrades who had spent time in prison, and all of into custody. them experienced this dilemma . Their deepest pain was not for themselves, but because they had involved their I hoped to encourage others to return families . Families are subject to direct police harass - ment and persecution . They also experience the pain of and be involved in the democracy losing friends and have financial difficulties . In addition movement. There are a lot of there is social prejudice: they are unable to hold up dissidents overseas who are their heads in public . It’s terrible. prevented from returning, but who This is an unsolvable dilemma. What I’ve learned is can only truly fulfill their potential by that, since this is the case, we must do what we can to returning to China. We have to break lessen the dilemma. First, in the normal course of through the government’s barriers things we must do more to explain things to our fami - and return to our own country. lies, so that they understand our endeavors. We have to win them over and get their support. Second, as much as possible , we must be cautious in what we do and our Yi: So you were arrested on suspicion of drug dealing? plans must be as well-conceived as possible, in order to reduce the risks. At the same time, the community at Yang: Right. To start with, I denied everything, saying I large must be prepared to help. In this way, when some - didn’t know the ID was a fake, that I’d had it made one is imprisoned , the news can get out immediately , a purely for convenience. They looked at my U.S. pass - defense lawyer can be found and appeals can be made port and saw that everything was in order, so they both domestically and internationally. Help from the believed me. They treated me pretty well. They were outside is very important. Now that I am back , I want to ready to let me pay a fine and release me. But then they set up a system to help prisoners of conscience in discovered my notebook and notes on my visit to the China. Third, we must do all we can to make prison less labor movement. I had notes from nearly 100 inter - of a fearful place for people. Making prison into an views. That made them suspicious and they reported to overly terrifying place doesn’t help. In general, families the provincial Public Security Bureau and the provin - worry most about how their loved one suffers in prison . cial authorities reported to the Ministry of Public Secu - If they think your situation in prison is not too bad, not rity. The Ministry looked into it and everything came that frightening, they will be in a better frame of mind out. As for being arrested, I wasn’t very anxious, to deal with it . because I was prepared for it. Yi: While you were in prison, I often saw news of your Yi: When you went to prison, your family, especially wife, Fu Xiang : her protests, appeals, and so on. She was your parents, your wife , and your children , suffered a working on your behalf during those years. She’s an lot. In general, dissidents in China can endure their impressive person ! own imprisonment, but it is terribly hard to get past the fact of involving their family members. This is their Yang: She helped me pack when I left. She really wasn’t Achilles heel. Can you say a bit about your experience happy about my going back to China, but at the same and your feelings? And how you dealt with it? time she thought I was doing the right thing. She worked to support me. She’s well -educated, strong , and 58 | INSPIRING CHANGE CHINA RIGHTS FORUM | NO. 4, 2007 very capable. When I went to prison, the financial bur - Yi: How long were you in that state of fear? dens for the family fell on her shoulders. She had to work and take care of the family, teach the children , and Yang: Not terribly long. One of the prisoners secretly she had to work for my release as well, going to Con - told me that we were in Qincheng Prison. 2 Fear left and gress, seeing Congressional members and staff , liaising anxiety took its place . How was my family? My chil - with NGOs, constantly writing letters, making appeals dren? How long would they hold me? If I was locked up in the media, protesting to the Chinese government, for a long time, would it affect my mind? Would I lose even leading the whole family in a hunger strike in front my ability to think, to speak? of the Chinese embassy .
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