Yunnan Woman in Plea For More Democracy

A security guard keeps watch over the heart of China's Communist Party regime, Tiananmen Square. Photo: AFP

A woman caller from Yunnan province , in southwest China, spoke to Jill Ku, host of the Mandarin call-in show Voice of the People :

'Speaking bitter' about the regime

“As common people in mainland China living under the totalitarian rule of the Communist Party, there are so many things that we want to pour out to you. Forget about one hour: We can’t even finish telling our sorrow in three days and three nights. I have been listening to your program for nine years. In other words, I started listening while Radio Free Asia started broadcasting.”

Forget about one hour: we can’t even finish telling our sorrow in three days and three nights.

“Miss Ku, as a woman, I am envious of your happy and bright future. As for us, the goals that we look forward to and strive for our entire life, ai, have all been shattered by the totalitarian power of the Communist Party. It makes people want to cry when thinking about it, me included. I once wanted to free myself from this sink of iniquity but failed.”

“China under the rule of the outlawed Communist Party still talks about what it was like before the liberation and how much hardship Chinese people had endured. I never talk about pre and post-liberation. I always use pre and post-1949 as a standard, to draw a line. We are worse than the pre-1949 period now. Before 1949, Chinese people still enjoyed the freedom to go overseas. Do we still have it now? No, we don’t. Am I right? Nowadays, only a few rich and powerful people can enjoy this freedom.”

Communist propaganda

“We ordinary people in the mainland are actually living in dire misery. I remember my politics teacher at school said that Taiwanese compatriots lived in extreme distress and we must liberate Taiwan. It is only now that we understand that the outlaw Communist Party has been lying. It has been deceiving us and fooling us.”

“Actually, I learned the ugliness of the outlaw Communist Party a long time ago. I remember a song. I’m not sure if you have heard it before. Oh, there are a few lines, let me see, 'We are all in the Air Force… We are not afraid of the high mountains and deep waters' and 'We have no guns or artilleries, our enemies will produce them for us. We have no food or clothes, our enemies will naturally put them in front of us.'”

“I’m not sure if you have heard this song before or not. What do you think this song is about? Do you really think that the Communist Party could beat the fully equipped Japanese forces with such gear? It even talked about 'cooked millet and pumpkin soup, millet and rifles,' and that the legs of the Eighth Route Army were superior to the wheels of the Japanese vehicles. The Communist Party had persisted in the War against Japanese Aggression for eight years and defeated the Japanese. The Communist Party was the main force in resisting the Japanese.”

“I asked my classmates and politics teacher at that time. I said that it was impossible. My teacher asked me not to say such things, nor to ask such questions again after he heard it. My mind finally was freed of doubts and suspicions after listening to the feature program of 'Washington Diary' hosted by Bei Ming. It confirmed my suspicions.”

Truth and the historical record

“I admire and am thankful for the assistance offered by the U.S, government to China in resisting the Japanese aggression, and everything that the Flying Tigers of General Claire Lee Chennault, and the Nationalist Government army led by President Chiang Kai-shek did during the anti-Japanese War—from the bottom of my heart.”

“We always talk about history. I believe that history cannot be altered and should not be altered. We have to restore truth to the historical record. I believe that this day will come soon. The end of the outlawed Communist Party is round the corner. I called you last year during the 60th Anniversary of the Victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan, but I could not get through. I wanted so much to say that the Communist Party is a big liar.”

“Some might say that Chinese people are unsophisticated, but I don’t believe that. But how then can we hold village elections? How can the quality of villagers be higher than that of urbanites, and the people at the highest or provincial level who have received higher education? Am I right? I think that peasants are very sincere and honest. Even though their cultural and educational levels are lower than that of the people at the highest or provincial levels, I still think that they are very sincere, honest, and likeable.”

“I believe the people at the highest and provincial levels are afraid of holding general elections. I think the Chinese Communist Party will have hope if it stops jamming overseas broadcasts. Otherwise, it will be digging its own grave, and its days are numbered.”

“I know that [human rights lawyer] Gao Zhisheng is a great person. I can confidently say that he does not have any blemish in his record. Otherwise, they would have capitalized on his vulnerable point. President Hu should do what Mao Zedong did for Lei Feng. He should write words of appreciation for Lawyer Gao Zhisheng. In other words, he should ask people to learn from Gao Zhisheng and confer the titles of ‘good lawyer’ and ‘human rights fighter’ upon him. I would like to ask his lawyer colleagues across the country and the world, all people of insight, and those heavyweight authoritative figures to support Lawyer Gao just like they supported Freezing Point .”

“I know that many ordinary people want to lend their support. However, confronted with the ruthless acts, wickedness, and cruelty of the outlawed Communist Party, people can only go on a hunger strike quietly at home and dare not make it known in earnest. Our words do not carry any weight. I plead with the heavyweight authoritative figures to take action and devote themselves to the national freedom of our Chinese nation.”

Original reporting in Mandarin by Jill Ku. RFA Mandarin service director: Jennifer Chou. Produced for the Web in English by Luisetta Mudie. Please continue to send contributions to RFA’s Women in Their Own Words project to women@rfa.org .