| Democracy Party of China 中国民主党 |
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| Founded | June 28, 1998 |
| Ideology | Democracy Liberalism Anti-Communism |
| Politics of the People's Republic of China Political parties Elections |
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Democracy Party of China (DPC) (simplified Chinese: 中国民主党; traditional Chinese: 中國民主黨; pinyin: Zhōngguó Mínzhǔ Dǎng) is a political party that started in the People's Republic of China, and was banned by the Communist Party of China (CPC).[1] The history of the DPC and its foundation date is unclear because it has many historical paths under different groups of founders. It is generally recognized to have assembled in 1998 by democracy activists and former student leaders from the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 according to western sources.[1][2]
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While the earliest date listed for the founding to be June 25, 1998, the group registered the party on June 28, 1998 when Bill Clinton was visiting China.[3] Wang Youcai, one of the main activists during the 1989 Tiananmen protest along with Wang Donghai and Lin Hui went to the Civil Public Affair Hall of Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province to officially register this party. The registration was declined.[3]
The next day on June 29, 1998, Wang was arrested by the state police at his own home in front of his family members. He was charged with creating opposition against the Chinese government.[3] His trial began on December 18, and as he had no lawyer defense, his trial lasted only a few hours. He was quickly sentenced on December 21, 1998 to 11 years of imprisonment and three years of deprivation of political rights for subversion.[3]
On the same day, Xu Wenli, a 55 year old member was also sentenced to 13 years for overthrowing the Communist party.[4]
On December 22, 1998, Qing Yongmin was sentenced to 12 years to prison for harming state security.[4]
Li Peng, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress at the time proclaimed, "If a group is designed to negate the leadership of the Communist Party, then it will not be allowed to exist."[1]
The Communist party declared the DPC an illegal organization, followed by a crackdown in Beijing in 1998.[1] After the sentencing on December 23, 1998, the Supreme People's Court then declared that, "anyone who knowingly publishes, prints, copies, or distributes material containing incitement to overthrow state power and the socialist system or split the country" could be tried for crimes. Such charges could result in life sentences for film directors, computer software developers, writers and artists, and media and publishing personnel, all of whom are subject to the new directive.[5]
There were hundreds of DPC members that were detained, arrested, and sentenced to prison.
etc., are some of the members of the party. Cyber dissident He Depu was also arrested in a correction facility.
Later Xu Wenli and Wang Youcai were exiled to the US on December 24, 2002 and March 4, 2004. On August 13, 2006, the first congress of the DPC was convened in the Sheraton Hotel of Flushing, Queens, New York in the United States.[6] Ni Yu Xian, the leader of China's democracy movement, one of the founders of DPC and the China Freedom & Democracy Party, presided over the congress. A total of 111 delegates from all the provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions of China attended the Congress. The congress passed the Statutes of Democracy Party of China, Party Program, and some important resolutions.
Democracy Party of China Coordinative Service Platform was founded by the members of Democracy Party of China members who are in China, overseas students, and exiled Democracy Party of China members. The initiative group members are Wang Youcai, Lin Hui, Chen Shuqing, Chen Zhiwei，Gao Yeju, Lv Gengsong, Xu Guang, Shan Chenfeng,and many other members.
Local Committee of Democracy Party of China In January 2008, party member Zheng Cunzhu established the Local Committee of Democracy Party of China. Zheng Cunzhu is a former student leader during 1989's pre-democratic movements in Anhui province, and he published an open letter to the leaders of China to advocate the re-starting of political reform.
The DPC suggests the ideas of "Prosperity, Fairness, Democracy" (富裕 公平 民主) and "Freedom, Rule-of-Law, Human rights" (自由 法制 人权/人權). The DPC has five unique features:
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