Chinese Pro-Democracy Activist Speaks on Campus
Since most current Principia College students were born nearly a decade after the stirring events in Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 1989, one might think the issues surrounding the uprising would seem distant and outdated to them. But the exact opposite was the case during the campus visit and talk by this year’s Ernie and Lucha Vogel Moral Courage Lecturer, Dr. Yang Jianli.
Sharing his story to a packed audience in Wanamaker Hall earlier this month, Dr. Yang described his upbringing as the son of a Communist Party chief and his own rise in the party. But, as he explained, he quickly became disenchanted by the corruption he witnessed and left China to pursue an education in mathematics at the University of California, Berkeley.
While there, Yang watched news coverage of the uprising in Beijing and felt compelled to participate, so he traveled back to China to support the demonstrations in Tiananmen Square. Arriving in time to witness the massacre by the Chinese army, he narrowly escaped capture himself. Soon afterward, he returned to the United States to study democracy, earning a doctorate in political economy at Harvard University. (He also holds a PhD in mathematics from Berkeley.)
In 2002, Yang returned to China to support the labor movement with nonviolent strategies. He was arrested and sentenced to five years in prison, spending much of his captivity in solitary confinement and facing frequent torture. Following an international outcry for his release, Yang was freed in April 2007. In an effort to bring greater attention to human rights issues and democracy in China, he returned to the United States and formed Initiatives for China, a pro-democracy movement.
As Yang displayed the famous “Two Tank Men” photo in Wanamaker, he pointed out that the soldier inside the tank did not fire upon the unarmed student standing before the tank. “It is important to remember,” he noted, “that people on the other side may also be the hero and that conscience can prevail even under brutal circumstances. I am convinced that no matter how difficult the road ahead, the general direction of China’s future can only be towards freedom and democracy.”
Earlier in the day, Yang visited political science and history classes and dined with a group of students prior to his talk. Meeting Yang had particular meaning for Jamie Yu, a sophomore from mainland China. “I never learned about the Tiananmen movement when I was living in China but learned about it from the Internet in the U.S.” she says. “It was an eye-opening experience for me to hear the story from someone who was actually involved. I really appreciate how Dr. Yang didn't stay on the level of his personal story but lifted up to a higher level by telling the story of the two tank men. We need to recognize that there is humility beyond politics that is able to bring people together.”