Bao Tong
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Bao Tong 鮑彤 (born 1932) was former Director of the Office of Political Reform of the CPC Central Committee and the Political Secretary of Zhao Ziyang (趙紫陽), Premier of the State Council, from 1980 to 1985. He was also Director of the Drafting Committee for the CCP 13th Party Congresses.
Resident of Zhejiang Province.
On May 28, 1989, he was arrested in Beijing due to his support of the democracy movement in Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989. He was officially charged with "revealing state secrets and counter-revolutionary propagandizing". He was publicly convicted after the Tiananmen Square massacre in June 4, 1989, and was sentenced to 7 seven years' imprisonment and 2 years of the deprivation of his political rights. On May 27, 1996, he was released upon completing his prison sentence.
However, he is still under house arrest; He appealed for the restoration of civil and political rights of Zhao Ziyang from 1998 until Zhao's death; he supported further democratic development in Hong Kong and continues to voice for political reform in China[1].
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[edit] Principled stand
On January 19, 2005, the Washington Post reported that Bao Tong and his wife were injured in attacks by more than 20 plainclothes security agents as they attempted to leave their home to pay their respect to the family of Zhao Ziyang, who died on January 17. The authorities would only allow him access to a doctor if he removed a white flower pinned to his vest. He refused[2]. (Note that the white flower is a traditional symbol of mourning)
[edit] Quotes
- On the CCP leadership : "We must correct all of Deng Xiaoping's mistakes. This is the only way to truly uphold Deng Xiaoping's vision. This is what it truly means to carry on Deng Xiaoping's work. Only when they acknowledge his mistakes and correct his mistakes can they stand taller than Deng Xiaoping. Otherwise they have no right to call themselves Deng Xiaoping's successors. They can only call themselves the successors of Deng Xiaoping's mistakes.[3]"
- On mourning Zhao Ziyang : “[his] life formed part of a heroic and mighty task, that of pioneering the protection of human rights and democracy for the Chinese people… To mourn Zhao is to defend human rights. To mourn Zhao is to pursue democracy and the rule of law.[4]”
[edit] References
- ^ Writers' columns - Bao Tong. Chinaaffairs.org.
- ^ China in Focus #1. asiaamerica.org (Jan 20, 2005).
- ^ Former Community Party official: Last decade 'wasted'. Rebecca McKinnon. CNN (June 2, 1999).
- ^ China in Focus #1. asiaamerica.org (Jan 20, 2005).
