Ding Zilin
Encyclopedia
Professor Ding Zilin is currently the leader of the political pressure group Tiananmen Mothers
.
in Beijing. Her husband, Jiang Peikun (蔣培坤), was head of the Aesthetics Institute at the same establishment.
Ding's seventeen-year-old son, Jiang Jielian, (蔣捷連) was one of the first to be killed. when the People's Liberation Army
crushed the Tiananmen Square protests
. Eyewitnesses had told her that her son was shot and was left to bleed to death on the night of June 3, 1989. He left the family home in defiance of the curfew, and was shot through the heart by riot police on the way to Tiananmen Square
. He was rushed to the Beijing Children's Hospital, where he was pronounced "Dead on arrival
".
Following her son's death, Ding said she attempted suicide six times.
In August 1989, she met another bereaved mother, and found a commonality within the self-help group, which continued growing. She formed a network of some 150 other families who had lost sons and daughters during the 1989 Tiananmen massacre, and this group became known as "Tiananmen Mothers
". Ever since that day, she has been asking the government to apologize for the deaths. She and some others have faced imprisonment, house-arrest, phone-tapping and constant surveillance.
In 1991, after an interview she gave to ABC News
, the government prevented her and her husband from carrying out their work or research, and were barred from publishing domestically. Party membership was revoked. In addition, she was detained for more than 40 days. She was forced into early retirement. Since her release, she was under close supervision by the authorities. Harassment continued when on September 9, 1994, she was arrested in front of the University and held by police for two hours, for having had published an article in the foreign media "hurtful to the people". Again in 1995, she and her husband were arrested in Wuxi
on August 18 and incarcerated until September 30, allegedly on "economic matters", and were denied visitors. In 1996 Ding's husband was forced to retire early. Since February 28, 2000, she has been under 24-hour surveillance by the authorities.
She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize
in 2003 for her efforts.
In 2004, she and other Tiananmen Mothers were put under house arrest
shortly before the 15th anniversary of the massacre to prevent them from holding any public memorial or protest. She was allegedly told by a senior official that a review of the June 4, 1989 crackdown was "out of the question." In 2006, Time magazine selected her as one of the 60 Asian heroes.
She has been collecting the names of the those who were shot dead by the People's Liberation Army
in Beijing around June 4, 1989. At the end of June 2006, Ding was able to confirm 186 deaths through her own efforts despite repeated harassment by the authorities. However, it should be noted, that upon close inspection of the cause of deaths, not all individuals on Ding's list died directly at the hands of the army. For example, at least one of the individuals on the list had committed suicide after the uprising had been squashed.
She and her husband have been under house arrest as of May 24, 2004. On February 8, 2007, she won the Vasyl Stus "Freedom-to-Write" Award for her book "Looking for the June 4 victims". She was ordered to leave Beijing for a forced vacation during the 2008 Summer Olympics
. Following the announcement that Liu Xiaobo
had won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize
, and his dedication of his prize to those who died in 1989, dissident groups reported on October 18 she and her husband may have been taken into custody by police, and have not been seen or heard from for four days; their phones have been cut off.
, Ding Zilin has been fighting for justice for the victims. Her activism has drawn international attention and association with recognizable human rights groups such as Amnesty International
, Human Rights Watch
and HRIC (Human Rights in China). New York based human rights watchdog HRIC has been labelled by the Chinese government as a hostile organization. Because of Ding Zilins efforts Amnesty International has a political campaign to put pressure on the Chinese government to acknowledge and apologize for the deaths of so many citizens. Amnesty applauded the Chinese government in June 2007 for allowing Ding Zilin, her husband and two other dead citizens’ kin to light candles west of Tiananmen Square. Despite the minimal recognition from the government Amnesty urges Chinese authorities to allow open debate and more public memorials in order to help improve Chinas human rights record and the image of Beijing on the international stage. Ding Zilin and human rights groups demand the Chinese government to stop labelling the student protest with political jargon such as “counter-revolutionary rebellion”.
is an activist group of people who lost family members on June fourth. Spearheaded by Ding Zilin they have collected over one hundred names of individuals who openly state that they lost a loved one on that day. Over the past twenty years in public letters published by multiple sources including HRIC, The China Post
, The New York Times
, Time Magazine and Amnesty International, the Tiananmen Mothers continue to publish a list of demands:
is Ding Zilin’s daily choice, she never stops using her voice to speak out in non-violent ways against the violations of human rights committed by the Chinese government
. On April 5, 2004 Time Magazine said that Ding Zilin is “the symbolic leader for many people in China who want the government to account for its actions that night. She is a small woman with a strong voice. Her bereavement makes her powerful”. Author of Beijing Coma, Ma Jian
also discusses her civil disobedience in a June 4, 2008 New York Times article. He describes how she will once again defy authorities and lay a memorial off Chang An Avenue. He suggests “behind the bravado, the party is as fearful as a deer in the headlights,” of displays of support that show that despite government efforts to erase history many refuse to forget.
interview with Ding Zilin she condemns the actions and legacy of many historical figures. She questions why Deng Xiaoping
was not brought to justice like the notorious former Cambodian Khmer Rouge
leader Pol Pot
. Ding Zilin uses her son’s story to spread the message of human rights in China
and feels it should be a central political issue. She was disappointed when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that close Sino-American Relations
should not be overshadowed by human rights
. She does, however, acknowledge that in 1995 Hillary Clinton helped to get her released from one of her many incarcerations. Ding Zilin condemns former President Bill Clinton
for
attending a ceremonial red carpet appearance in Tiananmen Square:“With the blood of the students still wet, the wounds still there, unhealed, how could Clinton step onto the red carpet to review Chinese troops?”. Human Rights Watch claims that on May 26, 1994, President Clinton said China had not made significant progress on many of the issues outlined in his 1993 Executive Order, however, a tough human rights policy was hampering the ability of the US to pursue other interests Human rights groups like HRIC, Amnesty International and Human Rights watch describe in their philosophies to be critical of governments gaining international power with bad human rights records.
Ding Zilin has dedicated the remainder of her life after her son’s death to being a human rights activist. She has most recently spoken out in support of Nobel Peace Prize
winner Liu Xiabo. Her continued campaigning relies on support from fundraising organizations like Fill the Square.
Tiananmen Mothers
The Tiananmen Mothers is a group of Chinese democracy activists promoting a change in the government's position over the suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989...
.
Biography
Ding, born in Shanghai on December 20, 1936, was professor of philosophy at People's UniversityRenmin University of China
Renmin University of China; RUC, also known as People's University of China , colloquially Renda , is a major research university in Haidian District, Beijing, China. Its campus neighbors those of Peking University and Tsinghua University....
in Beijing. Her husband, Jiang Peikun (蔣培坤), was head of the Aesthetics Institute at the same establishment.
Ding's seventeen-year-old son, Jiang Jielian, (蔣捷連) was one of the first to be killed. when the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
crushed the Tiananmen Square protests
Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the People's Republic of China beginning on 15 April 1989...
. Eyewitnesses had told her that her son was shot and was left to bleed to death on the night of June 3, 1989. He left the family home in defiance of the curfew, and was shot through the heart by riot police on the way to Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square
Tiananmen Square is a large city square in the center of Beijing, China, named after the Tiananmen Gate located to its North, separating it from the Forbidden City. Tiananmen Square is the third largest city square in the world...
. He was rushed to the Beijing Children's Hospital, where he was pronounced "Dead on arrival
Dead on arrival
Dead on arrival or D.O.A. is a term used to indicate that a patient was found to be already clinically dead upon the arrival of professional medical assistance, often in the form of first responders such as emergency medical technicians, paramedics, or police...
".
Following her son's death, Ding said she attempted suicide six times.
In August 1989, she met another bereaved mother, and found a commonality within the self-help group, which continued growing. She formed a network of some 150 other families who had lost sons and daughters during the 1989 Tiananmen massacre, and this group became known as "Tiananmen Mothers
Tiananmen Mothers
The Tiananmen Mothers is a group of Chinese democracy activists promoting a change in the government's position over the suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989...
". Ever since that day, she has been asking the government to apologize for the deaths. She and some others have faced imprisonment, house-arrest, phone-tapping and constant surveillance.
In 1991, after an interview she gave to ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
, the government prevented her and her husband from carrying out their work or research, and were barred from publishing domestically. Party membership was revoked. In addition, she was detained for more than 40 days. She was forced into early retirement. Since her release, she was under close supervision by the authorities. Harassment continued when on September 9, 1994, she was arrested in front of the University and held by police for two hours, for having had published an article in the foreign media "hurtful to the people". Again in 1995, she and her husband were arrested in Wuxi
Wuxi
Wuxi is an old city in Jiangsu province, People's Republic of China. Split in half by Lake Tai, Wuxi borders Changzhou to the west and Suzhou to the east. The northern half looks across to Taizhou across the Yangtze River, while the southern half also borders the province of Zhejiang to the south...
on August 18 and incarcerated until September 30, allegedly on "economic matters", and were denied visitors. In 1996 Ding's husband was forced to retire early. Since February 28, 2000, she has been under 24-hour surveillance by the authorities.
She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
in 2003 for her efforts.
In 2004, she and other Tiananmen Mothers were put under house arrest
House arrest
In justice and law, house arrest is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to his or her residence. Travel is usually restricted, if allowed at all...
shortly before the 15th anniversary of the massacre to prevent them from holding any public memorial or protest. She was allegedly told by a senior official that a review of the June 4, 1989 crackdown was "out of the question." In 2006, Time magazine selected her as one of the 60 Asian heroes.
She has been collecting the names of the those who were shot dead by the People's Liberation Army
People's Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army is the unified military organization of all land, sea, strategic missile and air forces of the People's Republic of China. The PLA was established on August 1, 1927 — celebrated annually as "PLA Day" — as the military arm of the Communist Party of China...
in Beijing around June 4, 1989. At the end of June 2006, Ding was able to confirm 186 deaths through her own efforts despite repeated harassment by the authorities. However, it should be noted, that upon close inspection of the cause of deaths, not all individuals on Ding's list died directly at the hands of the army. For example, at least one of the individuals on the list had committed suicide after the uprising had been squashed.
She and her husband have been under house arrest as of May 24, 2004. On February 8, 2007, she won the Vasyl Stus "Freedom-to-Write" Award for her book "Looking for the June 4 victims". She was ordered to leave Beijing for a forced vacation during the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. Following the announcement that Liu Xiaobo
Liu Xiaobo
Liu Xiaobo is a Chinese literary critic, writer, professor, and human rights activist who called for political reforms and the end of communist single-party rule in China...
had won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize
2010 Nobel Peace Prize
The 2010 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to imprisoned Chinese human rights activist "for his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China"...
, and his dedication of his prize to those who died in 1989, dissident groups reported on October 18 she and her husband may have been taken into custody by police, and have not been seen or heard from for four days; their phones have been cut off.
Activism
Since her son’s death in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989Tiananmen Square protests of 1989
The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the People's Republic of China beginning on 15 April 1989...
, Ding Zilin has been fighting for justice for the victims. Her activism has drawn international attention and association with recognizable human rights groups such as Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
, Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
and HRIC (Human Rights in China). New York based human rights watchdog HRIC has been labelled by the Chinese government as a hostile organization. Because of Ding Zilins efforts Amnesty International has a political campaign to put pressure on the Chinese government to acknowledge and apologize for the deaths of so many citizens. Amnesty applauded the Chinese government in June 2007 for allowing Ding Zilin, her husband and two other dead citizens’ kin to light candles west of Tiananmen Square. Despite the minimal recognition from the government Amnesty urges Chinese authorities to allow open debate and more public memorials in order to help improve Chinas human rights record and the image of Beijing on the international stage. Ding Zilin and human rights groups demand the Chinese government to stop labelling the student protest with political jargon such as “counter-revolutionary rebellion”.
Organization
Tiananmen MothersTiananmen Mothers
The Tiananmen Mothers is a group of Chinese democracy activists promoting a change in the government's position over the suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989...
is an activist group of people who lost family members on June fourth. Spearheaded by Ding Zilin they have collected over one hundred names of individuals who openly state that they lost a loved one on that day. Over the past twenty years in public letters published by multiple sources including HRIC, The China Post
The China Post
For the article on the postal system based in the People's Republic of China, see China Post.The China Post is one of the three English-language newspapers published in Taiwan , the other two being Taiwan News and the Taipei Times. It was established by Mr. and Mrs. Y.P. Huang in 1952...
, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, Time Magazine and Amnesty International, the Tiananmen Mothers continue to publish a list of demands:
- The right to mourn peacefully and in public
- The right to accept humanitarian aid from organizations and individuals inside and outside China
- No more persecution of June Fourth victims, including those injured in the massacre and the families of the dead
- The release of all people still suffering in prison for their role in the 1989 protests
- A full, public accounting for the June Fourth Massacre, ending the impunity for the perpetrators of this crime
Civil Disobedience
Despite her multiple arrests and constant surveillance, civil disobedienceCivil disobedience
Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain laws, demands, and commands of a government, or of an occupying international power. Civil disobedience is commonly, though not always, defined as being nonviolent resistance. It is one form of civil resistance...
is Ding Zilin’s daily choice, she never stops using her voice to speak out in non-violent ways against the violations of human rights committed by the Chinese government
Government of the People's Republic of China
All power within the government of the People's Republic of China is divided among three bodies: the People's Republic of China, State Council, and the People's Liberation Army . This article is concerned with the formal structure of the state, its departments and their responsibilities...
. On April 5, 2004 Time Magazine said that Ding Zilin is “the symbolic leader for many people in China who want the government to account for its actions that night. She is a small woman with a strong voice. Her bereavement makes her powerful”. Author of Beijing Coma, Ma Jian
Ma Jian
Ma Jian may refer to:* Ma Jian , Chinese basketball player* Ma Jian , Chinese writer* Muhammad Ma Jian, Confucian scholar who became an Islamic jurist...
also discusses her civil disobedience in a June 4, 2008 New York Times article. He describes how she will once again defy authorities and lay a memorial off Chang An Avenue. He suggests “behind the bravado, the party is as fearful as a deer in the headlights,” of displays of support that show that despite government efforts to erase history many refuse to forget.
Statements
In June 2009 in a NewsweekNewsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
interview with Ding Zilin she condemns the actions and legacy of many historical figures. She questions why Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping
Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese politician, statesman, and diplomat. As leader of the Communist Party of China, Deng was a reformer who led China towards a market economy...
was not brought to justice like the notorious former Cambodian Khmer Rouge
Khmer Rouge
The Khmer Rouge literally translated as Red Cambodians was the name given to the followers of the Communist Party of Kampuchea, who were the ruling party in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, led by Pol Pot, Nuon Chea, Ieng Sary, Son Sen and Khieu Samphan...
leader Pol Pot
Pol Pot
Saloth Sar , better known as Pol Pot, , was a Cambodian Maoist revolutionary who led the Khmer Rouge from 1963 until his death in 1998. From 1976 to 1979, he served as the Prime Minister of Democratic Kampuchea....
. Ding Zilin uses her son’s story to spread the message of human rights in China
Human Rights in China
Human Rights in China is a New York-based international, Chinese, non-governmental organization with a mission to promote international human rights and advance the institutional protection of these rights in the People's Republic of China....
and feels it should be a central political issue. She was disappointed when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that close Sino-American Relations
Sino-American relations
For the article on U.S.-Taiwan relations, see Republic of China – United States relations.Sino-American or People's Republic of China–United States relations refers to international relations between the United States of America and the government of People's Republic of China...
should not be overshadowed by human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
. She does, however, acknowledge that in 1995 Hillary Clinton helped to get her released from one of her many incarcerations. Ding Zilin condemns former President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
for
attending a ceremonial red carpet appearance in Tiananmen Square:“With the blood of the students still wet, the wounds still there, unhealed, how could Clinton step onto the red carpet to review Chinese troops?”. Human Rights Watch claims that on May 26, 1994, President Clinton said China had not made significant progress on many of the issues outlined in his 1993 Executive Order, however, a tough human rights policy was hampering the ability of the US to pursue other interests Human rights groups like HRIC, Amnesty International and Human Rights watch describe in their philosophies to be critical of governments gaining international power with bad human rights records.
Ding Zilin has dedicated the remainder of her life after her son’s death to being a human rights activist. She has most recently spoken out in support of Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
winner Liu Xiabo. Her continued campaigning relies on support from fundraising organizations like Fill the Square.
Internet video
See also
- Human Rights in ChinaHuman Rights in ChinaHuman Rights in China is a New York-based international, Chinese, non-governmental organization with a mission to promote international human rights and advance the institutional protection of these rights in the People's Republic of China....
- Political dissident
- List of Chinese dissidents
- Amnesty InternationalAmnesty InternationalAmnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
- Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989Tiananmen Square protests of 1989The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the People's Republic of China beginning on 15 April 1989...
- Human Rights WatchHuman Rights WatchHuman Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
- Egg On Mao:The Story of an Ordinary Man Who Defaced an Icon and Unmasked a Dictatorship
External links
- Ding Zilin's Nobel Peace Prize Nomination, International Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars