My husband, Yang Jianli, spent his 39th birthday in a detention center somewhere in China, without a cake, without any greetings from his loved ones far away on the other side of the earth. Our children at home missed him at their birthday parties last July, when our daughter turned 10 and our son turned 7. A year ago, Jianli left Boston for his beloved homeland for a 10-day visit after 13 years living in exile. Unfortunately, his journey has turned out to be much longer. On April 26, 2002, my husband was detained in Kunming, China. It was about 11:00 p.m. when I received a phone call from an anonymous person who said Jianli was in trouble. My heart sank, my tears flowed, and I almost collapsed from all the worries and anxieties of the past 10 days. Until that moment, Jianli had called me every day from China. I did not know when I would hear from him again. To my surprise, Jianli called from the hotel where he was temporarily being kept. He sounded calm. Although he was prepared for some hard days ahead, neither of us knew what exactly was waiting for him. He said, “Whatever happens to me, it will probably be OK. I’m just worried about our children. Please take good care of them.” It was Saturday, April 27 about 10:00 a.m. – and the last time I spoke to him. During the 1980s, young people like my husband thought science and technology would be the way to improve conditions for the people in China, and he came to the United States to study mathematics. While he was at the University of California, the 1989 Tiananmen student movement started. He was inspired and anxious to join the students. Jianli returned to Beijing. He participated in the demonstrations in Tiananmen Square and was a witness to the June 4th massacre. From that searing experience, Jianli learned that science and technology alone could not make China a better place. Something fundamental was missing – democracy. Since then, he has been involved in the pro-democracy movement. He was a vice chairman of the Federation for a Democratic China and a co-founder of the Foundation for China in the 21st Century, through which he worked hard to promote freedom and democracy in China. After he graduated with a Ph.D. from Berkeley, he came to Harvard to study political economy and government. He traveled around the world to promote his cause. He visited the Dalai Lama and participated in World Movement for Democracy conferences. He visited Taiwan to be close to China and watch the people from across the strait. In 2001, he obtained his Ph.D. from Harvard. He was deeply grateful for the education, freedom and opportunity that America had offered to him. When he came here in the mid-1980s, all we had was $60, and we could not afford one night at the Holiday Inn. Now we have a beautiful house, and our children attend the best public schools in the area. Yet he could not forget his fellow countrymen thousands of miles away. His love for his motherland was embedded in his bones. However, he was denied the right to return to his own country; his name was put on a blacklist of people who were prohibited from re-entering China; and he could not have his passport renewed. He was depressed, but more determined to make a difference. I can’t describe how much I miss him every day. One night my son cried so hard and asked me, “When is Daddy going to come home? I don’t think I can wait any longer.” Yet my hope never dies. My children and I have been blessed to receive so much love and support from all the people who care greatly about my husband and my family. I am particularly grateful to my legal advisors Jerome A. Cohen and Jared Genser; my church; my children’s schools; my colleagues at Harvard; Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch; the many Congressmen and Senators, and the Chinese communities for all their tremendous support. On April 11, 2003, Congressman Barney Frank and other congressmen introduced House Resolution 199 calling on the Chinese government to release Jianli. Please ask your congressman/woman to support this resolution. For more information, please visit www.supportjianli.org. Your kindness and generosity will make a big difference for my family. No help is too small to a woman and her young children who long to see their loved one come home. Christina Fu is the wife of Yang Jianli. -------------------------- |
