China tries to isolates dissidents
A new wave of repression has hit pro-democracy and human rights activists. Zhang Kai explains why, in the face of growing social unrest, the regime is determined to isolate Not only are dissidents put behind bars for their exercise of the freedom of speech and association, they are also tortured physically and mentally. Many are barred from proper medical treatment and from meeting with their family. Correspondance-course "sedition"
Wang Dan was charged with having said that "given the sealing of news from the people by the government, freedom of speech is reduced to empty words in the Constitution", that "the disoriented party under the leadership of the government and party leaders will not abandon any vested interest; to ensure its power is not restrained, it will go so far as to sacrifice the future of the country" . These words were used as evidence of Wang Dan's slanderous smearing of government leaders.
Wang Dan was also accused of conspiracy with dissidents in the United States. The "evidence" was his"setting up of a self-study programme by which he promoted China's democratisation" . Thia referred to a correspondence course on Western Civilization offered by the University of Berkeley.
The other charge was that he set up "a mutual aid scheme.. funding was provided to the families of jailed dissidents." This was supposedly evidence of his "networking with reactionary forces" . Wang Dan's mother said that he was simply trying to help send the children of jailed dissidents to school. The amount concerned was only 10-20 Yuan (US $1-2) for each child.
Wang Dan's took just 3 hours, during which he had 30 minutes to plead not guilty, and his mother, acting as his defence, had only a dozen minutes. The hearing of his appeal took only 10 minutes. A context of unrest
This latest wave of repression took place in a context of general unrest. The following reports were dissidents from the population. all published in Hong Kong's Ming Pao newspaper on November 8: • In Hunan Province in September, tens of thousands of peasants from five townships petitioned the township governments, requesting reduction of heavy tariffs. 8,000 peasants clashed with officials, and the police fired tear gas on peasants who destroyed the furniture in the township government office. • Tens of thousands of electronics workers in Beijing participated in mass strikes on National Day, October 1st.. They asked the municipal authorities to come up with concrete proposals for the reform of state enterprises. It was reported that work stoppage has been serious in state enterprises, and discontent among workers from state enterprises has been surfacing, and it was not unusual to see workers besieging party or government offices on petition, especially in the North Eastern provinces where state enterprises are more predominant. • A scholar working in the Party Cadre College pointed out that the "Resolution on the building of spiritual civilization" adopted by the 6th plenary meeting of the 14th Central Committee has evaded the main contradiction in society today. namely the problem of economics, with the reform of state enterprises lying at the heart of the problem. As for the question of the building of spiritual civilization, the main contradiction is the concern of the masses for graft and corruption on the part of party and government officials, with subsequent lack of
-confidence in the party and the government.
In this context of massive unrest, high-handed repression is still a necessary measure of containment for the Chinese authorities. The potential of the handful of dissidents linking up with mass discontent is much too frightening * Source: October Review Vol.23 Issue 5/6 1996 / GPO Box 10144, Hong Kong e-mail <[email protected]>
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