Paint-Throwing
at Mao’s Portrait Born of Frustration, 1989 Protester Says
Go to www.rfa.org/english/news/special/june4/
for news, essays,
and never before released videos and photos of the 1989 protests
WASHINGTON—China
has developed tremendously over the last two decades, but “in terms of
political and democratic reforms” the system is unchanged, one of three men
jailed for splattering paint on Chairman Mao Zedong’s portrait during the 1989
Tiananmen protests has told Radio Free Asia (RFA).
Yu Zhijian, who
along with fellow paint-thrower Yu Dongyue was just granted U.S. asylum,
described their high-profile May 23, 1989 act of vandalism as a product of
frustration directed at the Chinese authorities and prompted by the failure of
protest leaders to devise a response when Beijing declared martial law.
“Before we
resorted to the violent behavior, we tried to communicate to the student
leaders our assessment of the situation,” Yu Zhijian told RFA’s Mandarin
service in his first interview since arriving in the United States in
mid-May.
“We felt, as
participants in the movement, that there should have been a plan in response to
the martial law.”
“The day after
we arrived in Beijing, we joined the crowd that tried to block the PLA
[People’s Liberation Army] vehicles from entering the city. We talked to
the students and ordinary citizens. I felt that they didn’t know where the
movement was headed,” he said.
“As there
wasn’t to be a ‘triumphant withdrawal,’ the leaders of the movement should have
come up with relatively decisive responses. So we proposed three suggestions,”
he said, including a nationwide strike and a takeover of several key buildings.
But on May 21,
“when we brought our three suggestions to the Square we didn’t see any student
leaders. So we gave our proposal to someone whose job was to maintain order at
the Square…After that, the movement wasn’t headed in the direction that we had
hoped,” he said.
Turned over
to police
And two days
later, “We decided to smear Mao’s portrait with eggs containing paint. In our
view, the rule by the Chinese Communists from 1949-89 was a Maoist
dictatorship,” Yu said.
“The portrait
of Mao Zedong symbolized the dictatorship of the Chinese Communist Party. We
had hoped that our action would lead the participants of the movement to change
course and bring the movement back from the brink of failure.”
The two childhood friends—along with a
bus driver named Lu Decheng—hurled 30 eggs filled with paint at the portrait
and were quickly seized by student protesters eager to distance themselves from
the act and handed over to police.
Less than two
weeks later, Chinese troops moved in on the protests with tanks and live
ammunition, killing hundreds of people and prompting an international outcry.
An official blackout on discussion of the crackdown remains in force, 20 years
later.
“China has
witnessed huge changes in the past 20 years. But in terms of political and
democratic reforms, it is where it was 20 years ago. There has been no change
whatsoever,” he said.
Mental health damaged
Yu Dongyue¸ a former journalist and art
critic, was convicted of sabotage and counter-revolutionary propaganda and
handed a 20-year jail term. Lu received a 16-year jail term, and Yu Zhijian, a
former teacher, drew a life sentence.
Lu and Yu Zhijian were paroled in 1998
but Yu Dongyue remained in custody because, officials said, he had never
confessed to any wrongdoing. His sentence was cut by two years in 2000 and
another 15 months in 2003.
Yu Dongyue is the longest-serving known
political prisoner sentenced in connection with the 1989 crackdown. He spent
several years in solitary confinement and was subjected to beatings and
electric shocks, and friends and relatives say his mental health has suffered
severely.
During an
interview here, Yu Dongyue appeared vacant. He spoke haltingly and was unable
to answer direct questions.
“As you can
see, his mental condition is awful, just awful,” Yu Zhijian said. “Yu Dongyue
spent 17 years in prison. When he was released he was a shadow of his former
self. My heart ached when I saw him.”
Lu was granted asylum in Canada in 2006.
Yu Dongyue and Yu Zhijian fled China through Thailand and were granted U.S.
asylum last month.
Neither man
would discuss the route they took to escape China, but Yu Zhijian notably cited
Chinese-born human rights activist Harry Wu and his Laogai Foundation, for
their assistance.
Asked how he
regarded the 20th anniversary on Thursday of the June 4, 1989
crackdown, he replied:
“My heart is
heavy with memories of June 4th. These memories will never be erased
from my mind. It is a topic that pains me to bring up, especially when the June
4th anniversary is upon us. I am unable to sleep or eat. My
mind is in turmoil. The movement 20 years ago was a noble one and it changed
our lives.”
“The
participants were not limited to university students. The general public—in the
millions—also took part in it. In our hometown in Hunan, even the peasants
stopped working in the fields. They were glued to the television. They were
inspired by the patriotism and democratic spirit of the students.”
Original
reporting by He Ping for RFA’s Mandarin service. Translated by RFA Mandarin
service director Jennifer Chou. Written and produced in English by Sarah
Jackson-Han.
Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting
and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian
languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media.
RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and
expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and
ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an
annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors.
If
you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases,
send an e-mail to engnews-leave@rfanews.org.
To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join@rfanews.org #####
Sarah Jackson-Han
News Director, English
Radio Free Asia (RFA)
jacksonhans@rfa.org
202 530 7774 w
202 907 4613 m