荒诞者共和

Ren Wanding had gone to jail twice for the democracy movement and spent eleven years in prison. Upon approval by the Beijing Public Security Bureua, Ren Wanding traveled for the first time outside of mainland China with his wife to spend one week in Hong Kong. This visit was for a physical examination and also to meet with friends. He had no problems entering and returning from Hong Kong. On the day after he returned to Beijing, he was visited by the Beijing Public Security Bureau workers in a meeting that was characterized as "routine" and "pro forma."

His Hong Kong friends were concerned that he spoke about sensitive topics such as the June 4th incident and the democratic movement while in Hong Kong such that he may not be permitted to return to mainland China. Ren said: "I was bold enough in what I wrote in Beijing. I said whatever I wanted to say without a care. So why should I censor myself once I arrive in Hong Kong? The Beijing authorities will not punish me for what I said in Hong Kong. There is no need for me to release my steam in Hong Kong. I have released everything while I was in Beijing."

... Ren Wanding believes that there has been a change in attitude by the Chinese Communists towards dissidents. In the 1950's and 1960's, China pursued the class struggle line and it was a matter of "life-or-death." At the end of the 1970's (during the democracy wall movement in 1978-1979), there emerged a modern demcoratic movement. The Communists treated the political prisoners of that movement as "there is only me and not you" instead of "life-or-death." They did not kill anyone; they only arrested and imprisoned them. "As long as I am in charge, your democracy will not be realized."

In the 1950's and 1960's, the rightists did not dare to resist the authorities, who would squash any resistance. In the 1970's and 1980's, the new democrats dared to resist and fight back. Ren Wanding said: "I was arrested in 1979 for the democracy wall. I resisted during my interrogation. They interrogated me for seven days in a row but I refused to answer their questions. I asked them instead: 'You have done no investigation and you arrested me for counter-revolutionary incitement and propaganda?' They did not respond. Throughout the proceedings, they did not resort to torture. They sentenced Wei Jingsheng to 15 years and I was sentenced to 13 years. In 1981, Hu Yaobang took over from Hua Guofeng and he issued this so-called benevolent directive of releasing us ahead of time. I was released after 4 years. I was later sent to Qincheng prison on account of the June 4th incident ..."

Ren Wanding believes that during the 1950's, the authorities actively attacked the so-called class enemies. By this generation, the authorities were reacting instead. Ren Wanding was unlike the so-called class enemy who had to report once a week after their release to the local public security bureau to write a report on his thoughts. He said: "This was an evolutionary process. Our actions showed that we must be treated rationally. You can detain and sentence me, and there is nothing that I can do about it. But you have to respect my character. After a long time of mental fighting, the police chat with me and said: "We know that you only want to promote democracy but not advocate violence. We know that you are doing this for the nation and its people.' We moved them with our own actions."