Wei Jingsheng Foundation News and Article Release Issue: A1037-W676

魏京生基金会新闻与文章发布号：A1037-W676

Release Date: July 22, 2017

发布日：2017年7月22日

Topic: The Truth During the 14th Conference of the Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition -- Wei Jingsheng

标题：海外民运联席会议里的真相 -- 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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The Truth During the 14th Conference of the Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition

-- Wei Jingsheng

From July 26th to 29th of 2017, the Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition held its fourteenth conference in the Rayburn House Office Building of the US Congress. At the same time, in Rayburn's foyer, we displayed an exhibition about the Cultural Revolution and held the third "Human Rights and Freedom Defender" Award ceremony, to reward people who dedicated their decades to strive for human rights and democracy in China.

The first "Human Rights and Freedom Defender" prize was awarded to former US Congressman Frank Wolf. The second "Human Rights and Freedom Defender" prizes were awarded to the Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and publisher Robert Bernstein. The third "Human Rights and Freedom Defender," which is the current one, was awarded to the heavyweight Republican Congressman Chris Smith. All these figures have made years of great contributions to human rights and democracy in China, so awarding them is to encourage more politicians and Americans to continue their focus and help the democratic movement in China. We can see some of their public activities on Radio Free Asia and Voice of America.

The award ceremony was very successful; even Leader Nancy Pelosi showed up to praise the efforts and struggles of both Wei Jingsheng and Rep. Chris Smith. Once again she expressed her admiration and support for human rights, freedom and democracy in China. The atmosphere was very enthusiastic. Many other Democratic and Republican congressional members also expressed their support and readiness to participate, but unfortunately due to an intense voting process they had to apologize for not being able to attend the event in person.

Meanwhile, the 14th Conference of the Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition was also very successful. The delegates who attended were very satisfied and think that this was one of the most successful conferences in more than a decade. One of the signs of success is the massive attack by the Internet police and "fifty cents" posters of the Chinese Communist regime, including slanders and abuse. The enemy's attack shows that how much our success stung them and is the greatest reward for us. Some friends had not seen such a violent attack for many years, and thus felt a little frustrated; some friends joining us on the Internet seemed a bit disappointed because their expectations were too high. This is a normal phenomenon. We thus have more confidence.

Some friends were disappointed by the intense discussion during the meeting. In fact, this is the tradition of our coalition over many years, which is the display of a democratic atmosphere within the democratic movement. This precisely defeats the rumors of many years by the Internet police and those "fifty cents" posters hired by the Communist regime, who have claimed that "the democratic movement was undemocratic", and "forever chairman", and "dictatorship within democracy", and so on.

The democracy movement is not a government system and it is impossible to engage in parliamentary democracy that represents voters. Usually it is an action group, and a political movement. It is sort of equivalent to a company and its executive branch, which must have a leader to guide and members that act in mutual consensus and cooperation. But within, it still has a democratic atmosphere and procedure that is like a parliament. We hold a conference and working meetings within each organization every year or so, which is a mechanism for democratic discussion and consultation. This is similar to the meetings of a board of directors and an executive meeting within the White House.

Any opposition political movement should have such a structure. During the early days of the overseas democracy movement, it had a system of discussing and voting on everything, which proved to be a failed structure. Not only it was inefficient, but also it created complicated procedures for the Communist spies to use to breach. Dictatorship cannot be agreed to by people in democracy movement. The friends who are really engaged in the democratic movement all have to use their own money and time, as well as fend off complaints by their relatives. As a matter of fact, I myself am a so-called "amateur democracy activist", instead of a paid professional politician. With a circle of people of such hot and young blood, who will accept a dictator? This is really an impossible fantasy.

During this conference, a topic that could not be avoided was the topic of Guo Wengui. This topic cannot be without controversy. If such a big topic were not controversial during our conference, then it would be dictatorship. Many of our friends who were accustomed to the dictatorship of the Communist Party were dissatisfied with the controversy from the informal meeting before our conference. They argued that these disputes should not be made public and in the media. They believe that the image of democracy was thus destroyed. I think exactly the opposite. We should correct the kind of false and empty mode, so everyone is accustomed to the pattern of a democratic debate.

Recently, Xi Jinping had a meeting which exercised his dictatorship, which would not even allow high-level leaders to make notes or to record. This is in fact a strong contrast to the democratic style of our democratic movement. Democracy is not just the election and the so-called procedural justice; it is more about the people and the culture of a whole society, and a kind of thinking habit. When one is not allowed to argue, and not allowed to voice opposition, it would have already developed a culture of dictatorship. When there is the soil of the dictatorship culture, it is conducive to establishing and maintaining a system of dictatorship.

But democracy should not take an extreme form; not to do whatever you want, as then it is called mischief. Democracy would allow full discussion, but there is also a collective responsibility after reached a consensus. Even the minority after the vote, should still be responsible for the resolutions which were passed by the majority. For us who live in the West, this is the essence of democracy, the basic principles of democracy, which is like the habit of the common sense.

This time Professor Xia Yeliang achieved a noble democratic quality. After the meeting, he gave up his dispute with Mr. Guo Wengui and said that he would not publicly criticize him. Even though Mr. Guo said that he was against the Communist Party for a while, then said that he had no objection to the Communist Party, he would no longer openly criticize this. This is the personal strategy or plan of Mr. Guo as an individual, for his own reason. We cannot ask all the people to be the same as us. After all, we are not all the same even among ourselves, thus no reason to ask others to be the same.

Our policy is to unite all forces that can be united, and to target our attacks against the dictatorship of the Communist system. Mr. Guo Wengui also showed noble democratic qualities, and immediately called his fans to stop attacking the democratic movement, and target their spearheads against what he called "the Pirates Clique of China". This is the correct attitude of the allied forces of democracy and freedom, which is common sense in a democratic society.

Democrats and Republicans in the United States are often very antagonistic, and sometimes even hate to gnash. But in support of the Chinese people for democracy and freedom, we can say that the two sides have been very close and even praising of the other side. This is the so-called "noble quality" that the Chinese people now love to say. I hope that the Chinese people can quickly improve our own quality, to avoid self-attacks within the allied forces in a trench.

To hear Mr. Wei Jingsheng's related commentary, please visit:

http://www.weijingsheng.org/RFA/RFA2017/WeiJS170801onOCDC14th.mp3

Related photo:

http://www.weijingsheng.org/pic/newsletters/newsletters2017/newsletters2017-3/HRWB3rd170727all-c-5.jpg

(Written and recorded August 1, 2017. Broadcasted by Radio Free Asia.)

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中文版

Wei Jingsheng Foundation News and Article Release Issue: A1037-W676

魏京生基金会新闻与文章发布号：A1037-W676

Release Date: July 22, 2017

发布日：2017年7月22日

Topic: The Truth During the 14th Conference of the Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition -- Wei Jingsheng

标题：海外民运联席会议里的真相 -- 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）

如有中文乱码问题，请与我们联系或访问：

http://www.weijingsheng.org/report/report2017/report2017-08/WeiJS170813onOCDC14thA1037-W676.htm

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海外民运联席会议里的真相

-- 魏京生

2017年的七月二十六号到二十九号，中国民主运动海外联席会议在美国国会众议院大楼里，召开了第十四次会议。会议的同时，在大楼里最大的大厅布置了关于文革的展览，并且举办了第三届人权卫士奖的发奖仪式，奖励几十年来为中国的人权民主事业尽心尽力的外国人。

第一届人权卫士奖，给了美国众议员弗兰克·沃尔夫。第二届给了民主党领袖南希·佩洛西和出版家伯恩斯坦。第三次也就是本届人权卫士奖，奖给了共和党重量级议员克里斯·史密斯。他们都是几十年来为中国的人权民主事业做出了巨大贡献的人物，奖励他们就是鼓励更多的政治家和美国人继续关注和帮助中国的民主运动。大家可以在自由亚洲电台和美国之音电台上看到他们的一部分活动，可以公开的这一部分。

授奖仪式非常成功，南希·佩洛西也到场赞扬了魏京生和史密斯议员的努力和奋斗，并且再次表达了她对中国人权自由民主事业的敬佩和支持。现场气氛非常热烈，很多位民主党和共和党的议员也来信表示支持和准备参加，可惜因为紧张的投票程序，没能够亲自到场而深表歉意。

同时开展的联席会议也非常成功，与会的代表们都很满意，认为这是十几年来最成功的联席会议之一。成功的标志之一，就是引起了中共五毛和水军在网络上的大规模攻击，包括造谣、诽谤和辱骂。敌人的攻击说明我们的成功刺痛了他们的要害，是对我们最大的奖励。有些朋友因为多年没有受到这么猛烈的攻击，觉得有些沮丧；有些网民因为期望过高而显得有些失望。这都是正常现象，我们因此而更加增强了信心。

有些朋友因为会议上有激烈的争吵而失望。其实这正是联席会议多年来的传统，是民运内部民主气氛的表现。这恰恰反驳了五毛和共产党多年来造的谣，说民运本身不民主，什么万年主席、独裁专制，等等的谣言。

民运不是一个政府体制，不可能搞出个代表选民的议会民主。它在平时就是个行动团体，一个政治运动。相当于公司和行政机构，必须有一个掌舵的领袖和成员的配合。但它内部仍然有相当于议会的民主气氛和程序，每年的联席会议和各组织内部的会议，就是一个民主协商讨论的机制。这类似于公司董事会和白宫行政会议。

只有这样的结构才是一个反对派政治运动应该有的结构。海外民运早期泛民主化，事事都要讨论和表决的结构，被证明是一个失败的结构。不但没有效率，而且给特务们利用繁杂的程序搞破坏活动创造了条件。而独裁体制不可能得到大家的认同。真正搞民运的朋友都是自己掏钱花时间，还要被亲属们抱怨。包括我自己也是所谓的业余民运，不是领工资的职业政治家。这样的一圈热血青年，谁会接受一个独裁者呀。简直是天方夜谭。

这次的联席会议，不能不接触最近的热门话题，就是郭文贵的话题。这个话题也不可能没有争议，如果这么大的话题都没有争议，那可就真是独裁专制了。很多习惯于共产党独裁专制的朋友们，对这次会议前的非正式会议的争论不满意，认为不应该把这些争议在媒体上公开，认为是破坏了民运的形象。我认为恰恰应该纠正那种假大空的模式，让大家都习惯民主争论的模式。

最近习近平开独裁专制的会议，连高层领导们都不许录音做笔记。这恰恰和我们民运的民主作风形成强烈的对比。民主不仅仅是选举和所谓的程序正义，它更是人民和整个社会的文化，一种思维习惯。不允许争论，不允许反对意见发声，这就养成了独裁专制的文化。有了独裁专制文化的土壤，就有利于建立和维持独裁专制的体制。

但民主也不是极端民主化，不是想干什么就干什么，那叫胡作非为。民主有充分的争论，也有达成一致后对集体的负责。即使是投票后的少数派，也要对多数通过的决议负责。在我们生活在西方的人看来，这就是民主的精髓，民主的基本原则，是常识一样的习惯。

这一次夏业良教授就变现出高尚的民主素质。在会议后放弃了和郭文贵先生的争执，公开表示不再公开批评郭文贵。即使郭先生一会儿说反对共产党，一会儿又说不反对共产党，也不再公开抨击老郭。这是人家个人的策略或者谋略，有人家自己的道理。不能要求所有的人都和我们一样，我们自己也不是全都一样，没理由要求别人。

我们的政策是团结一切可以团结的力量，把攻击的矛头对准独裁专制的共产党体制。郭文贵先生也表现出高尚的民主素质，立刻号召他的粉丝们停止攻击民运，把矛头对准他所说的盗国贼集团。这就是民主自由同盟军的正确态度，是民主社会的常识。

美国的民主党和共和党那么对立，有时候甚至恨得咬牙切齿。但在支持中国人民争取民主自由的问题上，可以说双方合作得亲密无间，而且还互相捧场。这就是中国人现在最爱说的所谓“素质”。希望中国人也能迅速提高自己的素质，避免一个战壕里的同盟军自相攻击。