Can't Get Arrested

In an interview for Guernica Magazine, published June 1, I asked Wuer Kaixi where he planned to be yesterday, the twentieth anniversary of the Tianamen Square massacre. Kaixi, who became known to the world when cameras captured him scolding Chinese Premier Li Peng while wearing a hospital gown, was one of the most prominent student leaders of the uprising.

Kaixi, who escaped China shortly after the massacre as the second most wanted man in the country, hesitated. He stuttered slightly before answering, "I have not really decided yet. Most likely I will be co-hosting a commemoration in Washington D.C."

The response struck me as odd since Kaixi had quick responses to a host of seemingly more intrusive questions, like how he felt about detractors who claimed he had spent his exiled life enjoying the perks of his fame -- meeting with foreign dignitaries and, for a time after relocating to Taiwan, hosting a radio program.

Just days before the interview published, I emailed Kaixi once more, asking if he could let us know for certain where he'd be.

"Thanks for your note," he wrote, "I am sorry that I still can't report to you where I will be this June 4th, maybe you will learn it through media. Thanks for your concerns. Voice is a bird that reports the arriving of the spring of freedom. We shall all have it one day."

That last line seemed to be more than a pithy literary quote many of us writers fix to the end of our sent emails. It suggested something was up, a psychology that was veering toward a grand, romantic gesture -- though I couldn't know what it was.

It turns out Kaixi, now married with two sons and working with an investment company, was ready to risk a comfortable and free life, meet his accusers and, most importantly, see his parents for the first time in two decades. Wednesday, Kaixi flew into Macau in hopes of being handed over to the Chinese mainland. Much like the idea of a peaceful demonstration twenty years ago, however, Kaixi's plan was foiled. He was denied entry to Macau and was sent back to Taipei yesterday.

In the Guernica interview, Kaixi expressed gratitude for the many opportunities his exile has given him, but said of living in exile, "We may have gained the sky, but we lost the earth." He would much rather be in China. The events of the last couple days have not changed those feelings. "I will never stop trying to go home as long as I live," he told the Taipei Times yesterday.

(Crossposting with guernicamag.com)

Comments

[FairTalk]

Wu'er Kaixi, and many other self exiled "protesters," a well as the the CIA's most famous accest, the Dalai Lama, make me think of The Man Without A Country.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Man_Without_a_Country

There is a good lesson to be learned by this story, and by those who would scorn their birthpalce, their heritage. While I agree the temtation was great, and their vulnerability great, they are a small minority. The vast majority of people in China, feom 56 different nationalities, have done the heavy lifting, working their tails off, night and day, 24/7, to life China out of the third world.

One wonders why the western obsession with these selfish few, instead of those who have made real sacrifices for all their countrymen and women.

[PSM42]

We call it "human rights." It's quite a big deal in the West. We call it part of our 'ideals'. Sometimes our governments behave as if we meant it -- and othertimes not, just like China. We continue to be amazed by those who have no clue what we are talking about -- including Jerry Yang of Yahoo, from Taiwan -- and you.

Yahoo - human rights -
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/28/yahoo_seeks_dismissal_human_rights_lawsuit/

It is important to us, because without it, this happened - Buchenwald - Obama -

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/05/obama-buchenwald-speech-t_n_211898.html

What was done - http://www.scrapbookpages.com/Natzweiler/SOEagents.html

Who and How? http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/Barbie.html

Protected By and Escape Organized By - Guess Who. http://www.archives.gov/iwg/research-papers/barbie-irr-file.html

The Queen of F Section and her search for the missing. http://www­.64-baker-­street.org­/also/also­_vera_atki­ns_her_sto­ry.html

AND NOW
Afghanistan, Iraq and Gaza. http://www.uruknet.info/?p=-6&l=x

[FairTalk]

Are you claiming that you have a human right to stage a demonstration, sit in and hunger strike in a public place, like Tiananmen for 50 days, and the Government doen not have a right to ask you to leave?

Do you believe the government has a right to ask that large demonstrations have permits, and provide for public safety, including portable toilets?

You see, when you commit acts of civil disobediance, and when you continue this until it becomes dangerous, I believe it is no longer a "civil right" but a public emergency.

I cannot believe that other developed countries, Including Canada, the US, GB, Franca, Germany, Spain, etc, all of which are democracies, would have put up with this behavior for this long.

The problem is, and which you unfairly choose not to acknowledge, is that in the Spring of '89, China did not have riot control gear nor training, although they had asked for help with that.

The Nazi's did not love the Jews, and indeed, Jews could not join the Nazi party. Your comparing what happened in China is an Iinsult both to the Holocast victims, but to the Chinese students, many of whom had parents in the Government, of family members in the PLA. Indeed, many of the students were CCP members.

Unfair and biased propaganda statements hurt your cause, whatever cause that may be.

Former CIA agent tells: How US infiltrates "civil society" to overthrow governments
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article4332.htm

[Michael Archer - Huffpost Blogger]

Wonder about these opinions after reading the interview with Wuer (link below), love to hear...
http://www.guernicamag.com/interviews/1050/i_dont_want_a_revolution/
Best,
Michael

[PSM42]

We call it "human rights." It's quite a big deal in the West. We call it part of our 'ideals'. Sometimes our governments behave as if we meant it -- and othertimes not, just like China. We continue to be amazed by those who have no clue what we are talking about -- including Jerry Yang of Yahoo, from Taiwan -- and you.

Yahoo - human rights -
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/08/28/yahoo_seeks_dismissal_human_rights_lawsuit/

It is important to us, because without it, this happened - Buchenwald - Obama -

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/05/obama-buchenwald-speech-t_n_211898.html

What was done - http://www.scrapbookpages.com/Natzweiler/SOEagents.html

Who and How? http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/Barbie.html

Protected By and Escape Organized By - Guess Who. http://www.archives.gov/iwg/research-papers/barbie-irr-file.html

The Queen of F Section and her search for the missing. http://www­.64-baker-­street.org­/also/also­_vera_atki­ns_her_sto­ry.html

AND NOW
Af. gh. an1stan, 1raq and G@z@. http://www.radioislam.org/gaza/massacre-juif-en-photos/index.htm

Dilawar - Af. gh. an1stan - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dilawar_(human_rights_victim)

[Skepticat]

Sometimes birthplaces and heritages merit scorn - it depends entirely on what they have been doing. The advantage of progressive cultures is that people are actually allowed to question and even scorn the present situation. Sometimes this leads to improvements.