Kilgor
05-30-2004, 08:02 PM
`I will always be sorry' for lost lives
15th anniversary of Chinese protest
NICHOLAS KEUNG
STAFF REPORTER
At first glance, the new Wang Dan looks every inch an all-American boy in his striped GAP T-shirt, denim jacket, green cargo pants and square-toed black leather shoes.
Wearing a leather-stringed stylish silver pendant on his neck, the 35-year-old even joked that, "I'm a fashion-boy. No," he adds, "A fashionable man."
Wang's ruddy baby face has little imprint of what he has endured the past 15 years, since he and other student leaders started the Democratic Movement in Beijing, which ended with the infamous June 4 Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989.
"I have had no regret ever over what we did, but I will always be sorry for those who sacrificed their lives for China's democracy, because I was one of the organizers of the protest," Wang told the Star in an exclusive interview Friday. Wang, who is in political exile in the United States, and three other Chinese activists — Wang Juntao, Han Dongfang and Albert Ho — are in Toronto to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the massacre. More than 2,000 protesters are believed to have been killed when China's military cracked down on the demonstrators.
The four will attend a public forum between 1 and 4 p.m. today at the University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education on Bloor St. on "Democracy in China: Past, Present and Future." Admission is free.
Wang, then a freshman at China's prestigious Beijing University, was one of the 21 student leaders blacklisted by the Chinese government. He was arrested and sentenced twice, in 1989 and 1995, for conspiring to overthrow the Communist party. He was sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison, but China released him in 1998 after international political pressure.
Supporters flew Wang to New York, where he was accepted by Harvard, Yale, Berkeley and Michigan universities. He chose Harvard, where he finished his master in East Asian history in 2001 and is pursuing a doctoral degree in Chinese history.
It was a tough decision to leave China, knowing he would not be allowed to return to visit his father Wang Linyuan, mother Xianzeng and elder sister Jinqing.
"I love my country and that's why I did what I did 15 years ago. We wanted a better country for our people," said Wang, whose first name Dan means "red" in Chinese, symbolizing the Cultural Revolution in effect at the time of his birth.
Even though he is thousands of miles from home, Wang said his heart remains in China. He searches for news on the Internet about his homeland and stays in close touch with his friends and family.
"That is why my English has improved so little," he said sheepishly, adding that language is still a huge barrier in his life. (The interview was conducted in a mix of English and Mandarin.) "I also have a patriotic stomach. I can't eat anything but Chinese (food)."
Wang said he was very uncomfortable when he first arrived in the U.S. because of the attention triggered by his "celebrity status."
"I just want a normal life where I can go shopping, watch movies and just hang out with friends," said Wang, who has delivered a lot of public speeches in his first two years in America.
Despite warm greetings from strangers, Wang said he feels isolated from some of his fellow Chinese students at Harvard, who distance themselves from him for fear of repercussions when they return home, and concern for their families in China. It is one reason Wang chose "political terror/fear" for his doctoral thesis topic.
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`(Democracy) is about having a civil society where people are equal and treated fairly.'
Wang Dan, former leader of student protests in Beijing
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Today, Wang can vividly remember the seas of demonstrators on Chang On St. in Beijing.
"I was standing on this bridge and saw people everywhere, within 10 miles of Tiananmen Square, waving their flags and signs," he recalled.
"It was the first time I saw people go to the streets and speak up for themselves. It wasn't organized by the government but by the people themselves."
Although attendance at June 4 commemorative events has dwindled, Wang said it doesn't mean the public has forgotten. Most of the high-profile student leaders are now in exile overseas. Chai Ling is an entrepreneur in Boston and Wuer Kaixi is a political talk show host in Taiwan.
"Fifteen years have passed and it's natural for people to move on with their lives. But you can't say people are not concerned about the political reforms in China any more," he said.
Being in the U.S. has been enlightening for Wang, whose views on democracy have evolved as he joined the picket lines of Harvard tutorial assistants over wages, and other democratic protests in the west.
"Democracy is not just about institutional reforms," Wang said in his soft voice. "It is about having a civil society where people are equal and treated fairly."
Despite his gratitude to the Americans' generosity (he studies in the States with full scholarships from the university and all his living expenses were paid), Wang said he was disturbed by the U.S. government's post-Sept. 11 national security agenda and the war on Iraq at the expense of civil liberty.
Calling the terrorist attack a "civilization clash," he suggested the best way to gain peace with Muslims is to engage them into modern civilization by education and talks — not by force.
He also believes China is in a critical period, caught between a capital economy and authoritative rule. "There are two Chinas," he said.
"We have a poor rural China and a rich urban China. We have a social crisis. The government can either make it or break it."
Wang has changed since his days at Beijing University.
"I have lost some of my idealism. I didn't have any shadow as a teenager to prohibit me from doing things. Now I realize my responsibility. I am alive, but many of my friends died for the (democratic) movement.
"I used to have goals and when I couldn't accomplish them, I'd get angry and keep asking why I failed. Now I've learned I'm a normal person. It's not just about winning or being defeated. As long as I do my best, that's enough."
For now, he wants to focus on his education and pursue his goal to become a "public intellect" who can help facilitate China's path to democracy.
"It is a family tradition. My grandfather and my mother both studied and taught history. It is a family trait," he explained. "I want to be an intellect, so I can inspire others."
15th anniversary of Chinese protest
NICHOLAS KEUNG
STAFF REPORTER
At first glance, the new Wang Dan looks every inch an all-American boy in his striped GAP T-shirt, denim jacket, green cargo pants and square-toed black leather shoes.
Wearing a leather-stringed stylish silver pendant on his neck, the 35-year-old even joked that, "I'm a fashion-boy. No," he adds, "A fashionable man."
Wang's ruddy baby face has little imprint of what he has endured the past 15 years, since he and other student leaders started the Democratic Movement in Beijing, which ended with the infamous June 4 Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989.
"I have had no regret ever over what we did, but I will always be sorry for those who sacrificed their lives for China's democracy, because I was one of the organizers of the protest," Wang told the Star in an exclusive interview Friday. Wang, who is in political exile in the United States, and three other Chinese activists — Wang Juntao, Han Dongfang and Albert Ho — are in Toronto to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the massacre. More than 2,000 protesters are believed to have been killed when China's military cracked down on the demonstrators.
The four will attend a public forum between 1 and 4 p.m. today at the University of Toronto's Ontario Institute for Studies in Education on Bloor St. on "Democracy in China: Past, Present and Future." Admission is free.
Wang, then a freshman at China's prestigious Beijing University, was one of the 21 student leaders blacklisted by the Chinese government. He was arrested and sentenced twice, in 1989 and 1995, for conspiring to overthrow the Communist party. He was sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison, but China released him in 1998 after international political pressure.
Supporters flew Wang to New York, where he was accepted by Harvard, Yale, Berkeley and Michigan universities. He chose Harvard, where he finished his master in East Asian history in 2001 and is pursuing a doctoral degree in Chinese history.
It was a tough decision to leave China, knowing he would not be allowed to return to visit his father Wang Linyuan, mother Xianzeng and elder sister Jinqing.
"I love my country and that's why I did what I did 15 years ago. We wanted a better country for our people," said Wang, whose first name Dan means "red" in Chinese, symbolizing the Cultural Revolution in effect at the time of his birth.
Even though he is thousands of miles from home, Wang said his heart remains in China. He searches for news on the Internet about his homeland and stays in close touch with his friends and family.
"That is why my English has improved so little," he said sheepishly, adding that language is still a huge barrier in his life. (The interview was conducted in a mix of English and Mandarin.) "I also have a patriotic stomach. I can't eat anything but Chinese (food)."
Wang said he was very uncomfortable when he first arrived in the U.S. because of the attention triggered by his "celebrity status."
"I just want a normal life where I can go shopping, watch movies and just hang out with friends," said Wang, who has delivered a lot of public speeches in his first two years in America.
Despite warm greetings from strangers, Wang said he feels isolated from some of his fellow Chinese students at Harvard, who distance themselves from him for fear of repercussions when they return home, and concern for their families in China. It is one reason Wang chose "political terror/fear" for his doctoral thesis topic.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
`(Democracy) is about having a civil society where people are equal and treated fairly.'
Wang Dan, former leader of student protests in Beijing
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today, Wang can vividly remember the seas of demonstrators on Chang On St. in Beijing.
"I was standing on this bridge and saw people everywhere, within 10 miles of Tiananmen Square, waving their flags and signs," he recalled.
"It was the first time I saw people go to the streets and speak up for themselves. It wasn't organized by the government but by the people themselves."
Although attendance at June 4 commemorative events has dwindled, Wang said it doesn't mean the public has forgotten. Most of the high-profile student leaders are now in exile overseas. Chai Ling is an entrepreneur in Boston and Wuer Kaixi is a political talk show host in Taiwan.
"Fifteen years have passed and it's natural for people to move on with their lives. But you can't say people are not concerned about the political reforms in China any more," he said.
Being in the U.S. has been enlightening for Wang, whose views on democracy have evolved as he joined the picket lines of Harvard tutorial assistants over wages, and other democratic protests in the west.
"Democracy is not just about institutional reforms," Wang said in his soft voice. "It is about having a civil society where people are equal and treated fairly."
Despite his gratitude to the Americans' generosity (he studies in the States with full scholarships from the university and all his living expenses were paid), Wang said he was disturbed by the U.S. government's post-Sept. 11 national security agenda and the war on Iraq at the expense of civil liberty.
Calling the terrorist attack a "civilization clash," he suggested the best way to gain peace with Muslims is to engage them into modern civilization by education and talks — not by force.
He also believes China is in a critical period, caught between a capital economy and authoritative rule. "There are two Chinas," he said.
"We have a poor rural China and a rich urban China. We have a social crisis. The government can either make it or break it."
Wang has changed since his days at Beijing University.
"I have lost some of my idealism. I didn't have any shadow as a teenager to prohibit me from doing things. Now I realize my responsibility. I am alive, but many of my friends died for the (democratic) movement.
"I used to have goals and when I couldn't accomplish them, I'd get angry and keep asking why I failed. Now I've learned I'm a normal person. It's not just about winning or being defeated. As long as I do my best, that's enough."
For now, he wants to focus on his education and pursue his goal to become a "public intellect" who can help facilitate China's path to democracy.
"It is a family tradition. My grandfather and my mother both studied and taught history. It is a family trait," he explained. "I want to be an intellect, so I can inspire others."