This movement all started from China. It is with the encouragement of the brave action by the Chinese people that the people of these European countries smashed their dictatorial governments. What power encouraged the Chinese people to risk their lives to confront the dictatorial government that was armed with tanks and machine guns? It was freedom. The yearning for freedom, and that period of free speech for only two months, gave the great courage to the people.
Under the authoritarian regime of the Communist rule, many people lost their lives because of what they said. So, people had to be very careful when they deal with each other, to avoid being exposed when they said anything that is not favored by the Communist Party.
Many people were careful, which produced misunderstanding among the majority of people. They thought that, beside themselves and a very few friends, everyone supported the Communist Party. If the whole society supported the Communist Party, people's determination to resist would be much less, as well as the numbers of people who would dare to resist. Under those conditions, the rulers found it much easier to suppress any kind of resistance.
In the spring of 1989, people started to exchange freely during their resistance on the streets. All of them suddenly found out that everyone else's thoughts were the same as themselves, and thus their confidence received great encouragement. The number of people demonstrating on the street increased greatly; the slogans against the Communist Party became more and more open. After the news media also stood on people's side openly, the democratic movement became a movement of all the people.
For freedom, the citizens and students of Beijing were willing to devote their lives. However, they would want to know that their deaths were worth something. If it is only the thought of themselves and the very few, it would not be worth the sacrifice their lives. But, if it is for the benefit of the majority and also is understood as such by the majority, the brave people will be multiplied. Free speech provides the condition to exchange thoughts freely, and thus becomes the main reason to increase people's courage.
So it is freedom gives people personal power. From the 1989 Chinese people's movement against tyranny, we see the power of freedom.
Published in Asia News on June 2, 2009. Republished with permission by the Wei Jingsheng Foundation (www.weijingsheng.org).
