六四二十八周年在中共驻美大使馆前举行的烛光纪念会上的发言
各位同胞、各位朋友:
晚上好!
首先我要感谢陈闯创先生邀请我参加今天的纪念活动。每年这个时候我都穿上白衣黑裤,在心里默默纪念这个日子,今年是我第一次参加这个正式纪念活动。我想借此机会,向那些在六四大屠杀中壮烈牺牲以及负伤的学生和市民致以最崇高的敬意!向那些因为追求民主与自由曾经和现在仍然身陷囹圄的民主斗士致敬!向海内外所有坚持抗争的民主志士同仁致以最真挚的问候!
28年前,我是共军总参谋部的一名上尉军官,1989年初参加了国防大学研究生入学考试,刚收到录取通知书不久就暴发了那场史无前例的和平示威。我着便装参加并见证了这场自发的爱国民主运动。数十万学生群众炽热的爱国热情深深地感染了我们这些军人,我与同事们经常结伴去广场声援和支持学生们的抗争。天安门广场留下了我们的足迹和汗水,纪念碑上有我们歌颂清官胡耀邦、反贪腐、倡民主与自由的诗歌。虽然这场运动遭到了中共的暴力镇压,我们在长安街看到了威风凛凛的坦克和装甲车,也听见了军队无情的枪声,见证了惨死在装甲履带下和中弹倒在血泊中的学生和市民,还有那些被军队殴打致残以及失踪的平民百姓,但是,并不是所有的军人都赞同和支持这场血腥屠杀。我可以告诉大家,在军队中有相当一部分军人同情学生反对镇压。请大家记住:38军军长徐勤先、28军军长何燕然及政委张明春、39军116步兵师师长许峰等等因抗命而遭处分和撤职的高阶军官。
那时我是一名无名小卒,但是我也有一颗爱国忧民的心,我也希望中国成为一个民主自由的乐园。虽然我很软弱,没有勇气暴露身份参加这场民主运动,但是我的心一直牵挂着广场上学生的安危。6月3日我所在的部队下达戒严令,大门紧闭,任何人不得外出。但是,6月5日上午我与另外一名同事,冒着被发现的危险翻围墙,来到西单大街与长安街交汇处,我们看见一辆公交车在交叉路口燃烧,火光冲天、畑雾滚滚,我们亲眼目睹了市民们用三轮车将一具具血淋淋的尸体从天安门方向运出来,偶尔还听见零星的枪声,甚至看见有一颗子弹打在离我不到一米远的墙脚上面。我的心被这个悲惨的场景震撼了。作为一名军人,我曾经写血书强烈要求参加对越自卫反击战、保家卫国,但是无论如何我无法接受人民的子弟兵将枪口对准手无寸铁的学生和群众。此刻,我愤然下定决心与这个邪恶的政权分道扬镳。六四过后,我要求转业,没有得到批准,后来要求复员回乡,终于如愿。历经各种刁难和曲折,最终于92年来到美国留学。
六四镇压表明,这个口口声声宣扬的所谓'人民政权'与过去的历朝历代并没有什么本质的区别。人民没有批评和反对它的自由,只有卑躬屈膝的宿命。
今天的中国人大都沉醉在所谓的“盛世”狂欢中,还有几人记得二十八年前那些冤死的亡灵?人们太容易健忘。每年这个时候,我的心情都是沉重的,一是为那些为了争取中国人民的民主自由的权利而身陷囹圄的斗士和牺牲的先烈,二是叹中国民主与自由道路之漫长。太多人习惯于沉默和苟且,被眼前的利益所左右,这也许是中国人的悲哀吧。
我那饱受沧桑的祖国,四千多年了,帝国象跑马灯似地崛起和衰落,你的人民何时才能挺起膝盖站起来说话?
我是不赞成暴力抗争的,因为“凡动刀的必死于刀下”。但是,对于真理一定要坚持,决不能妥协。当然,抗争的代价也是巨大的,有时候还可能面对牢狱之灾,甚至要付出生命。然而,民主与自由并非与生俱来,它需要我们去争取、去抗争。
当今中国是黎明前最黑暗的时候,但是光明终将战胜黑暗。有人说再弱的光也是刺向黑暗的剑。是的,荧火虫虽小发出的光也很微弱,但是众多荧火虫聚集在一起就是一盏照亮黑暗的明灯。民运只有团结一切可以团结的力量才能成大势做大事。一切爱好民主与自由的同胞们,让我们团结起来,发扬八九民运精神,为了中华民族的民主大业尽一份绵薄之力。
我们身在异国他乡,犹如圣经旧约中被他的哥哥们出卖到埃及的约瑟,总有一天,我们中或者我们的后代中必将出现一位摩西,带领我们或者我们的后代返回到我们的故乡,建立一个民主自由的中国。
“但愿公平如大水滚滚,公义如江水滔滔!”那些杀害学生和市民的元凶总有一天要接受人民的审判!
愿全能的上帝保佑中国和那地上受苦受难的人民!
谢谢!
Ladies and gentlemen:
Good evening!
First of all, I would like to thank Mr. Chen Chuang Chuang for inviting me to participate in today's commemorative activities. Every year this time I always wear white shirt and black pants, silently in the heart to commemorate this day. This year it is my first time to participate in the commune ceremony. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my highest respect to the martyrs and the wounded people who have been sacrificed in the June 4 massacre! To pay tribute to those democratic fighters who were once and still are incarcerated by CCP because of the pursuit of democracy and freedom! To all the people at home and abroad to uphold the struggle for the democracy and freedom to extend my most sincere greetings!
28 years ago, I was a captain of the General Staff of PLA. In early 1989 I took the graduate entrance examination. Just after I received the admission letter from National Defense University, the unprecedented peaceful demonstrations broke out. I attended and witnessed this spontaneous patriotic democratic movement. Hundreds of thousands of students of the patriotic enthusiasm deeply appealed the military people, and my colleagues and I frequently went to Tiananmen Square to join the movement and to support the students fighting. There we left our footprints and sweat, we posted flyers of poetry on the monument praising Hu Yaobang, anti-corruption, advocating democracy and freedom. Although the campaign was suppressed by the CCP's military forces, we saw the majestic tanks and armored vehicles on Chang'an Street, and heard the ruthless gunshots of the army, witnessing the tragic death of the students in the armored track and people fallen in bloods and the civilians who were beaten by the army soldiers, but not all of the military personnel endorsed and supported the bloody massacre. I can tell you that a considerable portion of the military sympathized with the students against the repression. Please remember: 38th army commander Xu Qinxian, 28th army commander He Yanran and political commissar Zhang Mingchun, 116th infantry division commander Xu Feng and so on due to resentment was dismissed.
At that time I was an unknown, but I also have a patriotic heart, I also hope that China will become a paradise for democracy and freedom. Although I am weak, there is no courage to expose my identity to participate in this democratic movement, but my heart has been concerned about the safety of students at the Square . In June 3 my troop commander issued a martial law, the gate closed, no one can go out. However, on the morning of June 5, I went to the intersection of Xidan Street and Chang'an Avenue with another colleague, risking the danger of being found. We saw a bus burning at the crossroads. We witnessed the people with a tricycle carrying bloody bodies and moving out from Tiananmen Square and occasionally heard sporadic gunshots, and even saw a bullet hitting a wall corner one yard away from me. My heart was shocked by this tragic scene. As a military officer, I had been strongly asked to join the self-defense war against Vietnam, but in any case I can not accept the people's army killing unarmed students and the masses. At the moment, I am determined to part myself with the evil regime. After the June 4, I asked to retire from the army, but did not get approved, then asked to demob to return home, and finally got approved. After all kinds of twists and turns, and finally came to the United States in 1992 to study.
The June 4 repression shows that the so called people's regime is no different from the past dynasties. The people do not have rights against it except the groveling fate.
Today, the Chinese people are immersed in the "Golden Age" of the carnival, there are few of people remembering those killed souls. People are too easy to forget. At this time of the year, my mood is heavy, one for those who fought for the rights and freedoms of the Chinese people and imprisonment of the fighters and sacrificed martyrs, the second is the long road of democracy and freedom in China. Too many people are accustomed to silence and fear, and bowed to power and money. This may be the tragical fate of the Chinese people.
Our nation and people have suffered too much they can bear. For over four thousand years, China has undergone many cycles of rise and fall of the empires. When would our Chinese people stand up to speak out instead of kneeing down to power?
I am not in favour of violent protest "for all they that take sword shall perish with the sword". However, we must adhere to the truth and it must not be compromised. Of course, costs of fighting is enormous and sometimes we might have to face jail time, or even to lose lives. However, democracy and freedom won't come as granted, and it requires us to strive for, and to fight for.
It is the darkest time before dawn in today's China, but the Sun will rise anyway from the horizon. There is a say that even the weakest light is the sword that can pierce through the darkness. Although a firefly is tiny and the light it sparks is weak, If thousands of fireflies are gathered, they become a bright light guiding people in the darkness. The movement for democracy and freedom must unite all forces that can be united. It is the best way to make it a BIG movement and to do great things. All democracy and freedom loving compatriots, let us unite, carry forward the spirit of 89 movement and do our best for the democratic cause of Chinese people.
Like Joseph in the Old Testament of Bible who were sold into Egypt by his brothers, we were forced to flee from our motherland and since have lived in foreign lands and places. I hope that one day, there will be a leader like Moses among us or our offsprings who shall take all of us back to our homelands to create a democratic and free China.
"But let the right go rolling on like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream."
May God Bless China and Chinese People!
Thank you!