Twenty Years On
Twenty years ago, in the aftermath of the bloodshed in Beijing, when I first went into hiding, my mother had a stroke. It paralyzed one side of her face. I was 10 years in exile before my brother told me. I do not regret what we did in Beijing that year the Berlin wall fell, when there was so much hope of change in the air, but the deaths have haunted me for 20 years, and I want to hug my mother and tell her. “sorry”.
I can’t. China will not issue passports for my parents. China will not allow me to go home. It is difficult to explain the feelings I have at this moment to a world that has come to see China as a responsible member of the global community – the motor of global economic growth, the miracle that will re-jump-start global capitalism. But the feelings can largely be summed up as disappointment – disappointment that China’s “progress” has been so one-sided.
The crime we committed in 1989 was to hope for change. In 1919, students campaigned for change, for a China that was genuinely part of the modern world. In 1989, we did the same. In 2009, change has come to China. It is a country awash with foreign investment – a country that is superficially the same place that readers of Wall Street Journal live in. I have not seen it with my own eyes, but I know that China today has Seven-11s and Metros and malls and discos and outlets for Italian brand names … Hooters. China has walked in space.
In part, the change we hoped for has happened. When the people of Beijing took to the streets in 1989 –however people might read it today – they were acting out of frustration. In 1989, when I went into exile, I said the reason for the protests initially was that China’s youth wanted Nikes, wanted to be able to go to a bar with their girlfriend. Such things were not possible in the China I grew up in. They are possible today, largely because China’s university students rose up in 1989, and the workers’ unions and the common people joined them. The government realized It had no choice but to liberalize the economy, if it was going to keep popular discontent at bay.
In short, 20 years on, I believe the protests in of 1989 were a kind of tragic success. China got its Nikes and discos. Unfortunately, China did not get the other change we yearned for – political reform. For many years, I have been of the opinion that a deal was struck with the people of China. The deal was economic prosperity in exchange for political quiescence and continued and unchallenged one-party rule. For years, I have been describing it as a “lousy deal”. But today, on the anniversary of the bloodshed that ended the protests, I would like to add that it is an illusory deal.
For the past decade or more we have been hearing about China’s development. But shopping malls and designer brands that come at the expense of an open society is not, to my mind, development at all. What is more, China’s illusion of development comes at a cost not only to the Chinese people but to the global community. The result is that the world’s third largest economy is in the hands of a leadership structure that does not speak the same language as the rest of the modern world. Whatever critics might say the state of democratic politics in the rich world, neither the West, nor Japan – nor even Taiwan – routinely imprisons and exiles open debate.
China is with us on a daily basis – in television news reports, in the newspapers, in blogs and in movies. It is in your living room. But politically China is a man in an ill-fitting suit and he does not speak your language. He will not until he learns that there can be no true development until open debate and dissenting opinions are essential ingredients in the emergence of a developed society.
In 1989, as I said, we wanted Nikes and discos. But we also wanted to belong to a country that truly lived up to the heritage it is so proud of – a great nation with an important role to play on the world stage. We wanted China to allow open debate about its future, and we wanted to be part of that future. This has still not happened. If it had, I and all the many exiles like me, would be allowed to come home. At the very least my parents would have been issued passports and I would be able give my mother the hug and the apology she deserves for all the heartache and anxiety I have put her through.
This article is published today, 2009,06,04 at the Wall street Journal Asia
We all remember this . when i was young ,i saw this on the TV. Now i konw the whole thing , good luck ,guy,you are hero,we need all of you .
看BBC说，先生在澳门闯关时被扣押，不知先生现在可安好?/
j’espere tout va bien.
Please explain about this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xOC13kHlPw
呃
Wish you get the tunnel.
やはり……
20 years before, blood shed on a square with our great leader’s photo; 20 years later, the regime still remains silent about the incident. Only through a vindication can a truly harmonic society be achieved. After all the one held responsible is those who ordered a military action over a generally peaceful and rational protest.
“But today, on the anniversary of the bloodshed that ended the protests.”怎么翻譯……
我从心底支持你.
欲言又止，洗洗睡吧。
非常同意先生这句话 “In 1989, when I went into exile, I said the reason for the protests initially was that China’s youth wanted Nikes, wanted to be able to go to a bar with their girlfriend. Such things were not possible in the China I grew up in. They are possible today, largely because China’s university students rose up in 1989, and the workers’ unions and the common people joined them.”。
我相信是当年那场运动使中央明白了一定程度上放开经济和文化控制的必要性。如果没有89， 今天的年轻人不会享受到他们今天所享受的物质自由。可惜的是大部分的年轻人都不知道这一点。 很敬佩先生不懈的努力。 也祝先生早日与亲人团聚。
How are you doing in Macau? I hope this ends well for you, I really do.
But the “Western model” and its sham democracy is no longer the ultimate pursuit of the Chinese youth, something I’m both happy and worried to witness.
Happy that China will not take the opposite direction of genuine democracy, but at the same time worried that some of people there may be getting a little too comfortable with bureaucratic rule.
I, for one, saw a China with both Nike shoes for the rich, and Nike sweatshops for the poor—and I’m not liking it one bit.
Event though we disagree tremendously in terms of politics and some of your decisions, I still think you are overall, upright in your own right.
当时的你，与李鹏对质的场景。今生难忘。
Just read on BBC and found out your news, immediately turned back to check out here. Truly hope the best for you and your family. Twenty years on… I have a hard time lately, thinking over this, very intense, even in dreams. Tonight it feels even more so. My memory has not been blurred. That year that June I was 10, I was in Beijing, I was in Tsinghua, my family all went and joined and witnessed the massacre, I ‘copycatted’ what they expressed politically to my schoolmates, and felt that tiny bit of ‘righteous’. They left and some of them never returned… The more the dictator government tries to conceal it, the more weakness is exposed, thats what I believe. Hail to you and many many others, who still hold invincible faith and make tremendous effort. To support and propel this pathway through seemingly endless adversity is mine, and every citizen’s obligation. We do not give up nor give in.
Recalling the 2006 documentary movie by Frontline, ‘The Tank Man’, in the end, someone said ‘… that human freedom, courage and dignity is to stay. And that picture is to testify that forever.’
Once more, hope the best for you and your family!
先生，为什么，你竟然做了我猜想你要去做的事！我看到BBC的那条新闻时……
你的胆量真的让人佩服！不知您在澳门情况如何？
无论如何请不要忘记，您不是一个人在战斗，在你您身后有我们永远支持你！
Thank you for your article. I also found the perspectives in this video about the Internet crackdown on the eve of the anniversary very enlightening. This quote from Xiao Quiang, “In 1989, the voices of those gathered on Tiananmen Square were heard on TV screens by millions around the world. Today, millions of voices express themselves on the Internet, carrying on the demand for democratic reforms that the Tiananmen protesters called for,” provides a positive take on the future of China and the life of the movement that began in Tiananmen.
http://www.newsy.com/videos/newsy_in_depth_report_china_s_internet_maintenance_day
吾尔开希先生,
你好, 我是一位美國记者. 我希望能用您Twitter的照片给我的网站: Chineseculture.about.com. 如果您愿意请给我写电邮. (对不起我中文不太好.)
感谢您,
Lisa Chiu
为您祝福，为所有勇敢地为民主事业的人们祝福
20年前的今天，我和很多学生一样流着眼泪从纪念碑下走下来、然后走出天安门、然后离开北京、然后…..我再也没有到过北京。
和你不同的是，你离开了中国，我却和很多目睹过这场悲剧的人一样，只能留在中国，然后结婚、然后生儿育女；我们不得不选择接受，虽然心理不愿意，但也无能为力。我们唯一能做的就是不停的呐喊！
祈祷吧！为那些20年前死去的人；为所有活着的人；为流氓海外不能回家与亲人团聚的人；为不能走出去只能接受的人……
it is moving
刚看了你文章的前几行字我就哭了Twenty years ago, in the aftermath of the bloodshed in Beijing, when I first went into hiding, my mother had a stroke. It paralyzed one side of her face. I was 10 years in exile before my brother told me. I do not regret what we did in Beijing that year the Berlin wall fell, when there was so much hope of change in the air, but the deaths have haunted me for 20 years, and I want to hug my mother and tell her. “sorry”.
I can’t. China will not issue passports for my parents. China will not allow me to go home.我不大理解整治，但是对于一个海外学子对双亲的思念，我是能理解的。对于六四我知道的太少，因为那时候我只有一岁，因为中学一位语文老师神秘兮兮的讲了六四，我才知道这个历史书上没写过的故事，我问过爸爸，对于那段历史他也只是叹气说他也说不清，六四和五四应该是一样的，可是五四是爱国六四不是，那是因为五四不是针对当今政府，六四针对的是中共阿！离开国门几年，恍然大悟，十几年来的教育竟然是被洗脑阿！有种被骗的感觉，为了反藏独，我们留学生去游行，为了保护圣火在堪培拉顺利传递，多少人从澳洲的各个城市，从新西兰飞到堪培拉，所有的学生到堪培拉是自掏腰包，很多人都是一晚上的蹲车，手持着那个赤色的护照出了国门，对民族，china都很敏感，有学生为了阻止藏族同胞被警察charge……只能说这些举动愧对于辛辛苦苦赚钱存钱供我们出国门享受民主环境的双亲！我们为四川地震哭泣，捐出自己钱包里的所有现金，可是却是给“养专家不如养青蛙”的一场惨案无辜同胞牺牲来填坑！每天看着新闻，总会无奈的叹气，我如今在这赤色的护照里有了页在民主国家永居的纸，而我的大多数同胞却还生活在水深火热之中！学生时代听导师讲道中国是种害羞气愤与耻辱，我的同胞阿！你们什么时候才能呼吸到民主自由的空气！！！！！
先生，我理解你的无奈，我都理解的。脑袋里都是叶挺的那句，我希望有一天地下的烈火，将我和着活棺材一起烧掉！！！！如果自由女神不止是一座供人浏览的雕像，请将我的同胞也一齐解放了罢！inshalla!!
你好！我是一个即将毕业的大学生,虽然没经历过二十年前的事情，但从网络上了解了一点，深深感动，相信所有的努力都不会白费！
本人是80後出生的香港大學生。雖然我的小學、中學、大學老師都沒有提及先生等人的英雄事蹟，但是我身邊的同學都會參加一年一度的維園集會。我們不是人云亦云的呆子，而是有獨立思想的大學生。我相信單單一個人、一個黨並不可以抹殺歷史，公道自在人心。
加油!
祝願先生早日與家人團聚
如我半年前在联合报和苹果所言,民进党在今年会开始想办法挤上中共的谈判桌.这背后是什么?
关于藏独,对不起,我无法预言.因为藏独受制于人的程度远比民进党深.
民运就更不用说了.当然民运因为其对美欧的价值相对较低(随着他们意识到民运对中国影响力逐渐消失),或许他们放弱控制的那天,民运也会象民进党一样会想办法挤上中共的谈判桌.
要想藏独和民运,会有民进党如今有个醒悟的开始. 近期我不报希望.
回wuerkaixi关于”中国不能照搬西方民主”的中共官方说法的评论.在你评论之前已经犯了个错误.那就是中共根本没有把离开专政和普通政治后 另外一层战略说出来. 是那层战略才是”中国不能照搬西方民主”这句话隐藏的决定因素. 这些战略是超脱于政治的,美国,俄罗斯,印度,巴西,中国都有这层战略,连日本经过这几十年的隐忍,也在不断找机会实行. 这些话是没有人会说出来的.在于你自己能否看到. 用一个简单且每人离不开的东西在各国的情况作为各位的启发点.那就是”大米”. 有兴趣的你深入了解一下为什么这么平常的东西,居然和国家战略是一体的.真正读懂各国大米策略的人会明白,在表象的政治下面,国家还有什么.
如果一国决策体也如各位一样陷于表象而不知自拔. 那么…..
现在回到这个博客主人和网友的层次来谈六四. 89年的六四学生毫无疑问值得肯定.89年后的流亡者,随着时间流逝,毁增誉减.
关于中国传统文化,评论中立足点,都是一致的，那就是用现在的标准去衡量过去的事物.我相信百年后的人也会以同样的方式来评论各位”文明人”.
其二,一国之文化是需要发展才能与时俱进,而中国在满清倒下到改革开放之前,是什么状况,战争,战争还是战争,好不容易没战争了,中共错误连连.
其三,还记得欧洲的文艺复兴吗 这是目前人类史上唯一的一种文化由盛即衰,再由衰即盛的典例.
其实和这里网友同样的留言,我大概看到过无数次,克隆流行啊.
回到中共目前在中国的统治,我也懒的说了,剖析了无数次了,国内网友99%的一边倒站在中共的对面就说明问题了.
有些事,是这群民运人士和美国欧洲现在不会说的: 其实80年代,中国当时对政治讨论的开放程度是很高的,比现在高很多了.包括媒体开放程度.有兴趣的可以去查下,犹如封从德等人从天安门撤退时还能从美国之音得知天安门广场上死了3000人(究竟这意味着什么). 直到六四发生.
其实六四到现在看似很明了,但是在我眼里疑问太多了. 联系到那个年代的颜色革命盛行.可惜,在这方面无论是中共还是六四流亡者都没人出来说清楚.
不知有谁能看见中共关于六四的秘密档案和六四流亡者流亡后与美欧日政治势力和媒体的交往,甚至美国关于六四的秘密档案. 有了这三者,才知道当年六四的真相.犹如美国解密50~70年代在西藏培养武装势力的档案.
其实这20年来关于六四的述说,无论是中共还是六四流亡者,或者美国,都没什么变化.陈词滥调.手段都一样.
现在形势明了了,我终于不用担心六四会在这次金融危机中会给中国造成更大的伤害了.中共这半年的外交手段不错. 代价也不大.
其实有一点大家都明白.六四再怎么折腾,也不再可能如东欧南非般产生在国家的影响.基本属于历史中微不足道的过客了.
马列在中国已经走向灭亡的边缘,我怀疑是否还能凑满1%的国人会相信马列.
中国下面的路 很有意思.不会是共产主义社会主义,也不太可能是受外国势力掌控的西式民主,更不会是日本式的走狗式国家发展途径.
我在思考中国的未来.很有意思.
呵呵 套句六四民运人为达赖当年辩护的说法,过去的只是过去,过去达赖的罪恶不足以否定现在的达赖.不知用到六四身上,六四人会如何.
可惜了,六四民运人还没觉醒,根本不会意识他们这些言行后体现的自身的傀儡性.
有个现象说下;如今的中共早躯散了马列的鬼魂,处于迷茫中.在迷茫中,有个隐藏的影子:中国.
慢慢来吧,呵呵.我看到了历史进程,所以可以”古今多少事,都付笑谈中”
关于wuerkaixi进澳门一事,其实有点常识的人都知道,当王丹等人做这个决定的时候,已经知道会失败.作为政治手段来说,比较渺小失败.和今年之前民进党有共通之处. 手法也一样. 呵呵 六四流亡者象民进党学习了.可别看不见,民进党已经开始尝试换手法了. 六四人该与时俱进啊. 不然作为一个搞政治的,就太落伍了.
人还是真有意思,当从一个出发点做件事的时候,往往先把出发点抛弃了.
给六四人一个建议:先观看民进党这一年已经和即将做的事,找到点领悟,那么你们会登陆成功.
有意思的 .
祝你好运！
你的写作水平，思考能力还停留在大学水平，不具备Statesman应有的素质。20年了你当时的对手有了如此的成绩，而你呢？无论是自首的背后是为了保持自己的名声，还是为了以民运人士的身份投靠政府做一个自省的典范，你这20年的时间都没能赋予你足够的价值。
也许我的话会让你很愤怒，但你只比我大20岁
当年你面对李鹏的时候，他比你大40岁。
可以想象他受到的冒犯么？在你没有任何实权的情况下，如此的冒犯是不可能导致他屈服的。
连一个尊敬长辈的姿态都拿不出来，你浪费了当年政府对年轻人仅有的一些欣赏与同情，
你浪费了一代人的机会。
您好，我身在新疆，也是维吾尔族，看您的博客，但很少留言评论，自从您写了那片〈我是维吾尔族——兼答复网友赛依德海利力〉，也解答了我对您很多的疑问。
这次BBC的报道，您说
“我已经20年没有见我的家人，我越来越无法忍受，我尝试了各种方法，甚至乞求中国政府能让我的家人出国，但是他们也不让我的家人出境，我已经没有其他选择了。如果我要与家人见面，自动投案成了我唯一的选择。”
您对双亲的思念和胆识让我感动。祝福您！
看了你的文章无法控制我的眼泪！
很能体会你的心情，非常非常为你担忧！
希望能尽快看到你的消息！
恳请你为了你的家人和无数支持你爱你的人珍重！！
Sadly, many youngsters from China and the rest of the world are not aware of what was happening today 20 years ago.
Now, the western world has not speak much about the event for obvious reasons.
My prayer will be with you and your family.
I think what we need to do is to forget whatever happened at that time.
我感觉不到你的真诚！作秀成分居多！谋求私利明显！不过你也只能不断地利用这件事！
草泥马
你好, 我是來自香港的, 知道你到了澳門 ,真想去跟你見見面 !
二十年前 我是個中二的學生, 還記得剛到學校門口, 學姊發給我們一條黑色的布條, 每個學生手臂上都綁上一條黑色的布條, 老師在祈禱中哭泣成聲, 全校哀悼 !
你們是最優秀的精英大學生, 單純 有熱心 有成擔 中國政權這樣對你們 他們是野蠻的!冷血的!
我希望我的一歲兒子能像你們長大要貢獻社會, 希望你們能早日回國探望父母, 雖然你們不能見面，
我想他們會希望你能保持身體健康，注意飲食別讓自己過胖，要好好的快樂過生活，一定要開心過生活， 這是你父母最大的希望！
开希兄，我看到新闻说你被强制遣返台湾了
中共的卑劣做法会让世人所不齿
希望您别灰心，很多人都在支持您，总有一天您将回到自己的家乡！
@中国人
我相信是当年那场运动使中央明白了一定程度上放开经济和文化控制的必要性。如果没有89， 今天的年轻人不会享受到他们今天所享受的物质自由。可惜的是大部分的年轻人都不知道这一点。
——这是因素之一，但绝不是主要因素，经济的开放，使得政治不得不朝经济有利的开放！我肯定64学运，但我不认可激进的变革，我个人认为渐进的改革才是当前中国该走的路，你对着几亿文盲谈民主的时候，是灾难也是不负责任的！ 还有乌尔凯西先生，能不能少用悲情，悲情会模糊焦点，悲情不是真的猛士该做的事情！如今的中国在进步，等到高等教育普及之后，那个时候更适合讨论民主的价值和意义。网络如此发达 如今的民运人士你们的有些言论真的不得人心，共产党没有那么万恶，西方的民主也没有那么普世！
回来吧！
回来吧！我们支持你！
你如果是中国人，麻烦你用中文写好吧
你这样用英语写的洋洋洒洒，让我感觉是个外国人在作秀
@中国人
問你幾個問題,讓我了解多些吧
1.所謂”大米策略”到底是什麼呢?
如真的不可說,大概又有關什麼呢?
糧食?軍力?人口?思想?資訊?資源?土地?科技?外交?還是更基本的,或是更深入的呢?
2.中共的統治,又可是這戰略的延伸?
3.對於中國的形勢,有些可給我的資料參考嗎?
4.我們,或是民運人士們又可以做什麼呢?
以上
吾尔开希先生，
非常崇拜你！二十年前你真的非常帅！
恕我直言，还望见谅，二十年变化还是挺大的，你也胖了不少，建议控制体重，保持体形，对健康有好处，中国需要你这样的领袖，而且竞选时形象好也有优势。等你回来，竞选人民的总统，我绝对支持你！
吾爾開希先生:
前題:我的英文極差
我是香港人,年方14
過去的事,我仍在了解
在這打給你的,就是據我現今所知的而成
如有錯誤,請立刻指正
剛剛看到你為回家而廿願自首
卻又回不得
不知接下來你又要怎樣?
說實在的
看到人人都有不同意見
我亦不知可寫什麼
不過
話說回頭
你的理想又是什麼
二十年要中共否定的是什麼?
拋頭虜,灑肉醬的要肯定的價值又是什麼?
請你告訴我!
大陸來的反動人士
你罵老共就好
憑什麼說東道西
講臺灣總統
不要臉的民運逃犯
吃臺灣米
喝臺灣水
騙臺灣女人
滾出臺灣
Saw your news today, 向您致敬！
在澳洲的中国同胞。
吾尔开希先生，
我确实的感受到了现在中国的极度不自信。
国内现在有一个网站叫校内网，类似于美国的facebook。
6月3号校内进行系统维护，大部分功能被紧，为了今天的和谐。
连“- -”都是敏感词。
我在日志中提到您去澳门的事
今天我再上这个网站的时候，我被告之由于我言行不当，我的账号被封杀。
在我的页面上，只剩下一句话 由于此人言行不当，已被校内封杀。
我在我们学校的BBS上说到这事，我们学校在国内算的上一流学校，前十是没问题的。
3秒钟之后，我的帖子就被删了。帖子中我绝对没有提到一个敏感词。
再加上今天天安门那么多的警察。
这个社会是病态的社会。
呵呵，如果没理解错误，最后一句都说了是刊登在华尔街日报亚洲版上的，所以必须是英文的吧！