I am posting from Beijing. There is a total blackout of the news that Liu Xiaobo has won the Nobel Peace Prize. Most people in Beijing haven't even heard of his name.
Liu was a teacher before 1989 Tiananmen democracy movement. He was identified by the government as the instigator of the "turmoil" after the crackdown, probably because in an attempt to avoid further bloodshed, on June 4, 1989, he volunteered as a mediator between the students on the square and the PLA who already shot their ways into the city.
He was arrested again two years ago for the crime of founding the "Charter 08" movement. Below I post a translation of his final statement in the court last year.
I do not have enemies - my final statement
I have lived for over half a century. During this time, June of 1989 is my life's important turning point. Before that, I was among the first students admitted to college after the college entrance exam was re-instituted (translator: at the end of the Cultural Revolution after Mao died) in 1977. From a Bachelor's degree, to a Master's degree, to PhD, I met little difficulties in my study, and became a teacher at Beijing Normal University after completing my education. In the classroom, I was liked by my students. At the same time, I was also a "public intellectual", having written widely publicized articles and books in the 1980s. I was invited to give speeches all over the country, and was often invited to Europe and the US as an exchange scholar. I demanded myself, whether as a person or in an article, to be honest, responsible, and with dignity. After that, because I returned from the US to participate in the 1989 democracy movement, I was imprisoned under the charge of "counter-revolutionary propaganda and instigation", and lost my access to the classroom which was precious to me. I was no longer able to publish and speak inside China. Just for expressing a dissenting opinion and taking part in a peaceful democracy movement, a teacher loses his classroom, a writer his pen, and a public intellectual his podium. This, to myself as well as to China, after its opening up and reform for thirty years, is a kind of sorrow.
Thinking back, incredibly the most dramatic parts of my experience after June 4, were all related to the court. The only two chances I had to make a public speech, were provided by Beijing's intermediate court. Once was in January of 1991, once is right now. Although the charges were different each time, but the essence was the same. In both cases, my crimes were my speech.
Twenty years have passed, those who died unjustly deaths on June 4 still cannot rest in peace. I was led by my June 4 obsession towards the road of a dissident. As soon as I walked out the Qincheng prison in 1991, I lost the right to speak openly in my own country, and my opinions were only expressed through foreign media. I was also under long term surveillance. Living under surveillance (May 1995-Jan 1996), sent to an educational labor camp (Oct 1996-Oct 1999), and now for the second time turned into a defendant by the enemy mentality of this regime. But I still want to tell the regime that took my freedom, that I still hold on to the belief that I stated in the "Hunger Strike Declaration of June 2" -- I do not have enemies, and I do not have hatred. The police officers, those who monitored me, arrested me, interrogated me, the prosecutors who prosecuted me, the judges who sentenced me, are not my enemies. Although I cannot accept your surveillance and controlling, arresting, prosecution and sentencing, I respect your profession and personal dignity. This includes the two prosecutors who are representing the prosecution now, Zhang Rongge and Pan Xueqing. During your questioning on December 3, I felt your respect and sincerety.
Because, hatred will corrupt one's wisdom and conscience, enemy mentality will poison people's mind, will whip up "I live, you die" kind of brutal fights, will destroy a society's tolerance and humanity, and will impede a nation's progress towards freedom and democracy. Therefore I hope that I can transcend my own sufferings when looking at this nation's progress and the society's change, and use the greatest kindness to respond to the regime's animosity, use love to dissolve hate.
As we all know, this country's progress, the society's change, have been brought about by opening up and reform. In my view, opening up and reform started when we abandoned Mao's governing principle of "class struggle as the central task," and turned to economic development and societal harmony. The process of abandoning the "struggle philosophy" is also one of gradually reducing the enemy mentality and eliminating hate psychology. It is a process of squeezing out the "wolf milk" that once seeped into our humanity. It is this process that has provided a relaxed environment, nationally and internationally, for the reform and opening up, provided a gentle soil of humanity for restoring love between different people and peaceful coexistence between different interests and different values, and in turn provided humane incentives for the liberation of people's creativity and the restoration of their mutual love. It is safe to say, that abandoning "anti-imperialism (US)" and "anti-revisionism (USSR)" internationally and abandoning class struggle domestically, have been the basic preconditions for the continued reform and opening up in China. Economy changing into a market one, culture being diversified, and social order becoming one of rule of law, all benefitted from the reduction of the "enemy mentality". Even in the political domain where the progress is the slowest, the weakening of the enemy mentality has led to the regime's increasing tolerance of diversity in the society, greatly reduced persecution of dissidents, and the characterization of the 1989 movement has also been changed from "turmoil and rebellion" to "political disturbance". The weakening of the enemy mentality also led to the gradual acceptance by this regime the universality of the human rights. In 1998, the Chinese government promised to the world that it would sign the two international human rights conventions of the United Nations, signifying China's recognition of the universal human rights standards; in 2004, the People's Congress for the first time wrote "the government respects and protects human rights" into the constitution, signifying that the human rights have become one of the fundamental principles of the rule of law in China. At the same time, the current regime also proposed "people-oriented" and "build a harmonious society", marking an improvement of the Chinese Communist Party's governing philosophy.
These macroscopic improvements, have been reflected in my personal experience since my arrest.
Although I have always insisted that I committed no crime, and that the charges against me violate the constitution, during the period of more than a year since I lost freedom, I have experienced two holding prisons, four interrogation police officers, three prosecutors, and two judges. Their handling of the case has never been disrespecful, never lasted longer than the schedule time, and never extorted a confession. Their attitude was always peaceful and rational, and frequently expressed friendliness. On June 23, I was transfered from living under surveillance to the First Detention Center of Beijing Publis Safety Bureau (shortened as Beikan). During the half year I was inside Beikan, I saw improvements in prison management.
In 1996, I also stayed at the old Beikan. Compared to more than a dozen years ago, Beikan today has seen improvements both in infrastructure and in software management. Especially the humane management approach that was first started in Beikan. Built on respecting the rights and dignity of those imprisoned, flexible management was implemented into every word and every action of the prison guards, and materialized as "warm broadcasts", "repentance" magazines, before meal music, waking up music, and going to bed music. This approach gave imprisoned dignity and warmth, and encouraged them to defend prison order and oppose prison tyranny. Not only it provided imprisoned a humane living environment, it also improved their court experience and their mentality. I had close encouters with Liu Zheng warden who was in charge of my cell. His respect and concern towards those imprisoned, was reflected in every detail of his work, seeped through his every word and action, and made one feel warm. I guess it should be counted as my good fortune, to be able to know such a sincere, honest, responsible, and kind warden.
Because of such belief and such experience, I firmly believe that China's political progress will not be stopped. I am full of hope in anticipation of the arrival of a free China, because no power can prevent humanity's desire for freedom. China will become a country of rule of law, where human rights rule supreme. I also anticipate that such progress will be reflected in the hearing of this case, anticipate a just decision from this court -- a decision that will withstand the test of history.
My most fortunate experience in the past twenty years, has been the selfless love from my wife, Liu Xia. Today, my wife is not allowed to be here. But I still wish to tell you, my dear, I believe in your love as ever before. Through all these years, through my life without freedom, our love has been filled with the bitterness forced upon us by outside forces. Yet its taste is still infinitely sweet. I am serving time in a prison, and you are waiting in a prison of heart. Your love, is the sunshine that penetrates the high wall and pierces the iron window. It touches every inch of my skin and warms every cell of my body. It lets me always keep my inner peace, lets my heart at ease and mind clear, lets each minute in the prison become meaningful. And my love, full of guilt and regret, sometimes so heavy that I lose my stride. I am a hard rock in the wild, taking a beating from the storm but still so cold that no one dares to touch. But my love is rock solid, is as sharp as a knife, and can overcome any obstruction. Even if I am crushed into pieces, I will use my ashes to hold you.
My dear, with your love, I am able to face the court without fear, to face my choice without regret, to wait for tomorrow with hope. I hope that my country will be a land of free expression. On this land, every citizen's speech will be treated with the same kindness: here, different values, ideals, beliefs, political views,...... they compete against each other but also peacefully coexist; here, the opinions of the majority and those of the minority will be equally protected, especially the opinions that are opposed to those in power will be respected and protected; here, all political views will be put out in the daylight to be examined and selected by citizens, and every citizen will be able to express a view without fear, and no dissident view will be persecuted; I hope that I will be the last person in China to be a victim of the speech prison permeating throughout its history, that no one will ever again be imprisoned for his speech.
Freedom of expression is a basic human right, the core of humanity, and the start of truth. Blocking it is to trample human rights, suffocate humanity, and suppress truth.
To exercise the constitutionally defined right of free speech, to fulfill the duty to the society of a citizen of China, my actions are not crimes. If my charges are these actions, I do not object.
Thank you
December 23, 2009