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Exiled Tiananmen Protest Leader Slips Into China Exiled Tiananmen Protest Leader Says He Slipped Into China
(about 2 hours later)
BEIJING — Despite the ramped-up security for the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, an exiled former protest organizer whose mug shot was on the list of the 21 most-wanted students in 1989 managed to slip back into the country undetected earlier this week. BEIJING — Despite the ramped-up security for the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, an exiled former protest organizer whose name and picture are on the Chinese government’s 1989 list of the 21 most-wanted students managed to slip back into the country undetected earlier this week, he said on Thursday.
Zhou Fengsuo, 47, who had been a leader of the Beijing Students Autonomous Federation, spent two days in the capital — visiting Tiananmen Square and a police detention center where several of his friends are being held — before the authorities caught up with him on the evening of June 3. Zhou Fengsuo, 47, who had been a leader of the Beijing Students Autonomous Federation, spent two days in the capital visiting Tiananmen Square and a police detention center where several of his friends are being held before the authorities caught up with him on Tuesday evening, he said.
After 18 hours of interrogation, he was put on a flight to the United States, where he has lived in the two decades since he left China and obtained American citizenship. After 18 hours of interrogation, he said, he was put on a flight to the United States, where he has lived in the two decades since he left China and obtained American citizenship.
With one exception, none of the other students on the 21 most-wanted list who went into exile have been allowed back into China; for most Chinese dissidents who go abroad, returning home, even for the funeral of a parent, is not an option.With one exception, none of the other students on the 21 most-wanted list who went into exile have been allowed back into China; for most Chinese dissidents who go abroad, returning home, even for the funeral of a parent, is not an option.
Given the government’s fears that its citizens might try to commemorate the anniversary — scores of dissidents have been detained or sent out of the capital as a precaution — Mr. Zhou had expected to be refused entry when he applied for a 72-hour visa upon arrival at Beijing International Airport earlier this week. Given the government’s fears that its citizens would try to commemorate the anniversary — scores of dissidents have been detained or sent out of the capital as a precaution — Mr. Zhou said he had expected to be refused entry when he applied for a 72-hour visa upon arrival at Beijing International Airport earlier this week.
“It was a complete surprise when they gave it to me,” he said in a phone interview Thursday afternoon, several hours after returning to his home in San Francisco. “It was a complete surprise when they gave it to me,” he said by phone Thursday afternoon, several hours after returning to his home in San Francisco.
The first place Mr. Zhou went after arriving in Beijing was the detention center where several prominent advocates for political reform, some of them old friends, have been held since attending a small private seminar last month to discuss the crackdown. Mr. Zhou said the police refused his request to deliver money to the detainees, but they did not seem to recognize his name.The first place Mr. Zhou went after arriving in Beijing was the detention center where several prominent advocates for political reform, some of them old friends, have been held since attending a small private seminar last month to discuss the crackdown. Mr. Zhou said the police refused his request to deliver money to the detainees, but they did not seem to recognize his name.
“I was fully expecting to be arrested at that moment,” he said.“I was fully expecting to be arrested at that moment,” he said.
The following night, he said, a friend drove him around the city in what he described as a contemplative and highly emotional tour of the landmarks seared into his memory: Muxidi, the neighborhood where troops first opened fire; Jianguomen, where columns of tanks plowed through makeshift barricades; and Tiananmen Square, the place he spent so many days and nights as a 22-year-old student and one of the leaders of the protests.The following night, he said, a friend drove him around the city in what he described as a contemplative and highly emotional tour of the landmarks seared into his memory: Muxidi, the neighborhood where troops first opened fire; Jianguomen, where columns of tanks plowed through makeshift barricades; and Tiananmen Square, the place he spent so many days and nights as a 22-year-old student and one of the leaders of the protests.
Although he was tempted to get out of the car and make a public gesture, he knew it would be futile, given the cordon of police surrounding the square, Mr. Zhou said. Although he was tempted to get out of the car and make a public gesture, he knew it would be futile, given the cordon of police officers surrounding the square, Mr. Zhou said.
“At a certain point, I thought I would explode but I knew that even if I used my loudest voice, I would just disappear in a minute,” he said. “At a certain point, I thought I would explode,” he said, “but I knew that even if I used my loudest voice, I would just disappear in a minute.”
Shaking with emotion, he said, he returned to his hotel. About 20 minutes later, he said, the police showed up. The interrogators from the domestic security bureau, he said, were notably polite, and some even displayed traces of empathy. One middle-age officer, he said, recalled how peaceful the demonstrators were that spring of 1989 and at one point, a young officer exclaimed, “This is the first person I’ve met from the book I read,” a telling disclosure given that most information about the crackdown is omitted from Chinese history books and scoured from the Internet. Shaking with emotion, he said, he returned to his hotel. About 20 minutes later, the police showed up. The interrogators from the domestic security bureau were notably polite, he said, and some even displayed traces of empathy. One middle-aged officer, he said, recalled how peaceful the demonstrators were that spring of 1989, and at one point, a young officer exclaimed, “This is the first person I’ve met from the book I read,” a telling disclosure given that most information about the crackdown is omitted from Chinese history books and scoured from the Internet.
Mr. Zhou, then a physics student at Tsinghua University, was turned into police by his sister and jailed for a year. In 1995, he left for the United States and went on to earn a business degree from the University of Chicago. He worked in finance but more recently he has been devoting much of his time to political activism. Mr. Zhou, then a physics student at Tsinghua University, was turned in to the police by his sister and jailed for a year. In 1995, he left for the United States and went on to earn a business degree from the University of Chicago. He worked in finance but more recently he has been devoting much of his time to political activism.
When it comes to criticizing the Chinese government, he does not back down. He is a founder of Humanitarian China, a group that advocates on behalf of Chinese political prisoners. In 2001, he was the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit that accused Li Peng, the former prime minister, of “massive human rights violations” for his role in ordering the crackdown that left hundreds of unarmed protesters dead. When it comes to criticizing the Chinese government, he does not back down. He is a founder of Humanitarian China, a group that advocates on behalf of Chinese political prisoners. In 2001, he was the lead plaintiff in a lawsuit that accused Li Peng, the prime minister at the time, of “massive human rights violations” for his role in ordering the crackdown, which left hundreds of unarmed protesters dead.
This was Mr. Zhou’s third trip back to China. He said he never publicly disclosed the two previous visits, in 2007 and 2010, because he did not want to alert authorities to what would seem to be a glaring lapse in security. He said he tried to travel to mainland China from Hong Kong last year but was denied entry. This was Mr. Zhou’s third trip back to China. He said he had never publicly disclosed the two previous visits, in 2007 and 2010, because he did not want to alert the authorities to what would seem to be a glaring lapse in security. He said he tried to travel to mainland China from Hong Kong last year but was denied entry.
Fearful that his trip might have been thwarted, Mr. Zhou said he had told nobody, not even his family. He said the decision to travel to China earlier this week was prompted by the detention of Pu Zhiqiang, a legal defender, and four other people who attended the seminar commemorating the events of 1989. “I wanted to show some solidarity with my friends in prison and also with those who died 25 years ago,” he said.Fearful that his trip might have been thwarted, Mr. Zhou said he had told nobody, not even his family. He said the decision to travel to China earlier this week was prompted by the detention of Pu Zhiqiang, a legal defender, and four other people who attended the seminar commemorating the events of 1989. “I wanted to show some solidarity with my friends in prison and also with those who died 25 years ago,” he said.
Even after arriving in Beijing, he called only the friend who drove him around that night.Even after arriving in Beijing, he called only the friend who drove him around that night.
As part of his negotiations with the authorities, Mr. Zhou said he received assurances that his friend would be left alone. “So far,” he said, “they appear to have honored our agreement.”As part of his negotiations with the authorities, Mr. Zhou said he received assurances that his friend would be left alone. “So far,” he said, “they appear to have honored our agreement.”