Mr Li Wang Yang 李旺陽 was a Chinese dissident. He was tortured and then apparently murdered. The murderers did not even attempt to disguise their deed. This is a terrible story. It sends a shiver down my spine! Beijing must investigate and punish the culprits. If not, Li's death could destablize China.
The starting point: June 4th, 1989
In 1989, students demonstrated against corruption in Beijing. They demanded democracy in China. The protest ended in bloodshed. The authority sent in tanks on the 4th June 1989. The army killed hundreds of civilians, mostly students, in Tiananmen Square.
Dissident Li Wang Yang 李旺陽
Li Wang Yang was an activist during the 1989 demonstration. He was subsequently arrested and imprisoned for 10 years [to confirm]. After release, he continued to speak out against the government. This led to further arrests and imprisonment of 12 additional years [to confirm]. News reported that he was tortured during imprisonment, which caused him to become blind and deaf; some of his teeth were lost too.
Li committed suicide, according to Chinese officials
Chinese officials announced that Mr Li committed suicide by hanging himself in front of a window in the hospital on 6th June 2012. Reporters found that Mr Li's feet touched the ground, apparently as they were when his body was discovered. The piece of cloth that was tied around his neck was unlikely to be able to support the weight of his body. The knot was tied in complicated way, which unlikely to be tied by the dead.
Was Li "committed suicide"?
Nobody can be sure whether Li indeed committed suicide. But the signs suggested that this is a highly suspicious case. Why would such a strong-minded person commit suicide now? Has it got anything to do with Li speaking out before the June 4th anniversary this year? Instead of investigating the case, the local authority cremated Li's body hastily (within three days). Li's sister and close friends suddenly became unavailable for interviews.
This report is disturbing
This report is particularly disturbing because, if Li were indeed murdered, then the murderers did not even attempt to disguise the murder. If that is the case, then they might be trying to send the message to the public that "if you cross us, we can do whatever we like to you".
Li's death could destabilize China
Over the last 23 years, Li has clearly demonstrated that he was not afraid of being tortured and killed. This poses serious threat to the stability of the Beijing government. If more people are not afraid of punishment, to the extent that they are not afraid of being killed, then uprising is inevitable. The Arab Spring is just one of the many examples in history. The Communist Party should know people's power very well, as that was the force that they harnessed to defeat their opposition, the Guomindang, in 1949. Li's death has started a wave of protest, which could destabilize China.
What Beijing must do
The Beijing government must investigate what has happened to Mr Li, not just about his death, but also the way that he has been treated in the past 23 years. Beijing must convince Chinese people that the government respects law. If Beijing does nothing, then it is effectively endorsing torture and murder of its own people at will, which I suspect (and hope) is not Beijing's attitude.
The best possible scenario
If Li were indeed tortured and then murdered, then the best possibly scenario would be for Beijing to find the culprits and punish them, strictly according to Chinese law. The authority should assure the Chinese people that even if a person disagrees with the government, he/she will only be treated lawfully.
[End]
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Handling negative energy in a society
China's Vulnerability
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