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The Wei Jingsheng Foundation expresses sorrow for lives lost and suffering for the tsunami victims in South Asia. We encourage our friends and supporters to give donations and help to these victims by the most secure and direct ways for their rescue and rebuilding effort, or via reputable organizations such as UNICEF and the Red Cross.
魏京生基金会向南亚海啸的受难者们致哀，并鼓励广大支持者与朋友们积极以最直接和可靠的方式捐款及提供帮助。
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Wei Jingsheng Foundation News and Article Release Issue: A99-W40
魏京生基金会新闻与文章发布号：A99-W40
Release Date: December 30, 2004
发布日：2004年12月30日
Topic: Behind the Scenes Stories -- the Criteria and Reasons to Choose the Winners for the 1st Annual "Wei Jingsheng Chinese Democracy Champion Prize" -- Wei Jingsheng
标题：幕后故事 -- 首届“魏京生基金会中国民主斗士奖”的由来及评奖标准 （魏京生）
Original Language Version: Chinese (Chinese version at the end)
此号以中文为准（英文在前，中文在后）
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Behind the Scenes Stories -- the Criteria and Reasons for Choosing the Winners of the 1st Annual "Wei Jingsheng Chinese Democracy Champion Prize"
-- Wei Jingsheng
Since the Wei Jingsheng Foundation announced its 1st Annual "Wei Jingsheng Chinese Democracy Champion Prize" winners Mr. HU Shigen and Mr. LIU Xianbin, we have received various questions regarding this prize. Many questions were about why such an award was established and what kinds of criteria were used to select the winners, etc. Here I would like to make this information known.
First, about why this award was established. Many governmental and non-governmental organizations in the western democratic countries have their human rights and democracy awards, as a means to encourage the effort and activities of people in various countries for peace, freedom and democracy. The most well known ones include the Nobel Peace Prize, the Sakharov Prize of Europe, and the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Prize of the USA. In the past, many Chinese including myself have won the prizes. The action of judging and awarding the prizes has been an effective way to promote democracy and freedom world wide, as well as to encourage the activists for their effort and dedication. Therefore, the Chinese government is extremely afraid of these types of award activities. They even have mobilized the "national fanatics" to protest and demonstrate at the Norwegian embassy. This reaction proves that the award activities indeed apply public pressure to the Chinese Communists, and thus they would use various means to sabotage them.
However, particularly in the past two years, the Western democratic countries headed by the USA have adjusted their foreign policy in an effort to solve issues like Iraq. They have loosened their pressure against the Chinese Communists with more tolerance. Such an atmosphere has also affected other arenas, and the Chinese democracy advocates who fought under extremely hard conditions seem to be diluted and disappearing from various award stages. This reality on one side has really hurt the enthusiasm for human rights and democracy among our Chinese fellows, and on the other side has let the Chinese Communists gain more determination to continue their dictatorship and suppress our countrymen's effort for human rights and freedom. Many Chinese have wondered why we could not have an award of our own, instead of waiting to be recognized by foreigners. After all, we know our own heroes even better. Under the encouragement and financial support of an anonymous donor, and the coordination of several friends, they decided to establish and judge our own "democracy champion prize". These friends are: Ms. Ciping HUANG, the executive director of the Wei Jingsheng Foundation; Dr. XingYu CHEN, former president of IFCSS (Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars); Dr. JiJie LIU, former Secretary-General of IFCSS; and scientist Dr. BangZheng CHEN.
The next question was what to name the award. The European Parliament's human rights award is named after Mr. Sakharov, the famous human rights activist of the former USSR. The award is used to encourage people in a similar rank, and the general public can immediately grasp the meaning of the award by that name. So it was agreed to use my name, as a well-known Chinese democracy champion, for this award, so as to give the general public both internationally and within China the immediate idea of the winners of the award. Simple and clear.
After the announcement seeking nominations went out, we received overwhelming responses. More than one hundred people who care about Chinese democracy and human rights participated in the nominating process and jointly nominated more than one dozen outstanding people who have contributed significantly and sacrificed a lot for Chinese democracy and human rights. The most often nominated person was Mr. Hu ShiGen, followed by Mr. Liu XianBin. They also met the criteria of the judges. The nominations gave credence to the Chinese saying: "People all have sharp eyes"; "Everyone has the right balance". However, for years these important people known to the Chinese public were excluded from the Western media, and even ignored by the Western human rights organizations. [Editor's note: for example Mr. LIU XianBin was even left out in some of the long lists of the Chinese dissidents in prison, which has caused strong disappointment and reaction from the Chinese democracy advocates inside China.] Once more, it proves the importance of judging the award by fellow Chinese ourselves.
The judges agreed that the importance of Mr. Hu and Mr. Liu, the fact that others also think they are so important, is due to the following:
1) Most people have already recognized that the key factor for Chinese democratization is the establishment and legal existence of opposition parties. Without such a condition, a democratic system cannot be established. The clearly stated human rights and democracy within China's own constitution will not be realized. The fact that each democracy movement has failed is also due to the lack of an opposition party, the first priority condition. Therefore, the most important goal for the democracy movement is to legalize an opposition party, which is also the most important goal for us to encourage and the most important goal for the Chinese Communist Party to terminate and suppress.
2) Mr. Hu and Mr. Liu represent two generations of people who made the biggest sacrifice, as well as contributions, in the effort to establish opposition parties. They are the most outstanding representatives working during the 1990's hot waves of organizing opposition parties. Yet, their most valuable quality is the fact they devoted all of their energy and effort into the real work, instead of making stir-fries in the overseas news media. This type of spirit of devotion without selfishness is what we need most for the Chinese democracy movement that is under extreme hardship right now. It is also what the current Chinese society, which is overcrowded with showbiz and short-term interest, needs. Their most valuable spirit and qualities have won the admiration of the judges.
However, the debate of the judging is not finished yet. The other nominees are also very excellent with almost the same contributions and sacrifice, as well as respectful qualities and dignity. But, the number of awardees could not be increased, so they will be shelved for now until next year's award. The good news is that not only do we have enthusiastic nominators, but also enthusiastic donors. Next year, we will select a new awardee as the model of self-sacrifice in the public's interest.
By the way, more than 2/3 of the nominators were from Mainland China. Shortly after the award, most of them vanished from the phone and the Internet. Our guess is that the Chinese government has taken measures all over China to cut their communication channels. To keep the communication channels open, you may contact us through Radio Free Asia, or my office at: 1-202-543-1538.
(The Chinese version was partially broadcasted by Radio Free Asia. The Wei Jingsheng Foundation is responsible for the English version of the translation.)
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中文版
Wei Jingsheng Foundation News and Article Release Issue: A99-W40
魏京生基金会新闻与文章发布号：A99-W40
Release Date: December 25, 2004
发布日：2004年12月25日
Topic: Behind the Scenes Stories -- the Criteria and Reasons to Choose the Winners for the 1st Annual "Wei Jingsheng Chinese Democracy Champion Prize" -- Wei Jingsheng
标题：幕后故事 -- 首届“魏京生基金会中国民主斗士奖”的由来及评奖标准 （魏京生）
Original Language Version: Chinese (Chinese version at the end)
此号以中文为准（英文在前，中文在后）
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幕后故事 -- 首届“魏京生基金会中国民主斗士奖”的由来及评奖标准
-- 魏京生
自从魏京生基金会公布首届“魏京生基金会中国民主斗士奖”的得奖人为胡石根和刘贤斌以来，许多朋友以各种方式询问为什么设立这个奖，什么人可以得奖等等问题。在这里我给大家简略地谈谈这方面的情况。
首先是为什么设立这个奖。西方民主国家许多政府和非政府机构都设立了人权民主奖，用以鼓励各国争取和平、自由和民主的活动。最著名的有“诺贝尔和平奖”，欧洲的“萨哈罗夫人权奖”，美国的“肯尼迪人权奖”等等。过去也有许多中国人，包括我自己在内，得到了这些奖。评奖和得奖的活动，起到了向海内外宣传民主自由观念的作用，也起到了鼓励海内外民主人权活动的作用。因此中共非常惧怕这种评奖活动，甚至发动民族主义狂热分子到挪威大使馆抗议示威，吓得挪威使馆紧急撤退家属。这些都说明评奖活动的确给中共施加了舆论压力，因此中共才会以各种软性和硬性的方法加以破坏。
这两年以来，以美国为首的西方民主国家调整了他们的外交政策，为集中精力解决伊拉克刻不容缓的问题，放松了对中共的压力，扩大了对中共的容忍度。这种风气也影响到一些评奖活动，使得在艰难困苦奋斗的中国民主斗士们，从评委们的视野里淡化了、消失了。这种形势从一个方面挫伤了中国人民争取民主自由的热情，长了中共专制统治的志气，灭了中国人民争人权争自由的威风。海外许多有识之士每每扼腕叹息：为什么我们自己不搞一个自己的奖，难道非得外国人承认才算数吗？外国朋友们无论如何也不如我们更了解我们自己的人物。在一名匿名人士的鼓励与经济支持下，在几位朋友的酝酿下，决定设立并评出我们自己的“民主斗士奖”。这几位朋友是“魏京生基金会”的执行主席黄慈萍，“全美学生学者自治联合会”前主席陈兴宇、前秘书长刘继杰，和科学家陈邦铮。
接下来的问题是用什么名义发奖。欧洲议会的人权奖，是以前苏联著名人权活动家萨哈罗夫的名字命名的，奖励的也是类似的人士。而且公众一看就明白得奖的是什么人。于是大家决定以中国著名民主斗士魏京生的名字来命名这个奖，国际和国内的公众一看就明白得奖的是什么人。简单明了。
征求提名的消息公布以后，反应十分热烈。一百多位关注中国民主和人权的人热心人士参与了提名，共提出了十几位极优秀的、为民主和人权做出重大牺牲和贡献的人士。其中提名最多的胡石根先生，其次是刘贤斌先生。这和评奖委员们确定的标准恰恰吻合，也在他们心目中的候选人范围之中。这正说明“群众的眼睛是雪亮的”，“人人心中自有一杆秤”。而这样重要的、公认的人物，居然多年来被排除在西方媒体的炒作之外，被西方的人权组织所忽略，进一步说明我们中国人自己评奖的重要性。
评委们一致认为，胡石根和刘贤斌两人之所以如此重要，之所以被大家公认为如此重要，是基于以下事实：1）首先是，大多数人已经认识到中国民主化的关键是反对党的建立和合法存在。没有这个条件，民主制度不可能建立起来。中国宪法里写明的人权和民主之所以无法实现，各次民主运动之所以失败，就是因为缺少反对党这个首要条件。因此，组党并使之合法化，是民主运动的首要目标。也是我们需要鼓励的首要目标，同时也是中共扼杀和镇压的首要目标。2）胡石根和刘贤斌是两代人前仆后继、为组党做出最大牺牲和贡献的人，也是在90年代组党热潮中最杰出的代表。更可贵的是，他们把精力和热情全部投入到实际工作中去，而不是热衷于在海外媒体上炒作。这种无私奉献的精神，正是现在处于艰难困苦中的民主运动所需要的，也是浮华和势利眼充斥的中国社会所缺少的。这种可贵的精神和品质得到几位评委的一致认同。
但是评选中的争执并没有到此为止。因为被推荐的其他十几位朋友也非常优秀，也具有几乎相同的贡献和牺牲，也有几乎相同的高尚的品质。但是，一次获奖的人数不可能在增加了，只好让他们在默默无闻一段时间，到明年第二届“魏京生中国民主斗士奖”的时候再见了。好在不光是推荐者十分踊跃，捐款支持者也十分踊跃。明年我们还将推出新的人选，作为自我牺牲为公众谋福利的榜样。
一件小事顺便提一下。推荐者有三分之二来自中国大陆，前段时间十分活跃的推荐者，在发奖之后突然从电话线和互联网上消失了。据推测是中共采取了全国行动封住了他们的联络渠道。知道他们消息的朋友们，请打电话与自由亚洲电台联络，或大电话到我的办公室：1-202-543-1538。
（写于2004年12月初。部分内容在自由亚洲电台上播出。）
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魏京生基金会及中国民主运动海外联席会议以推动中国的人权与民主为己任。
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