Gao Zhisheng’s Response to Public Concern About his Safety: “The Sky Won’t Fall”

Gao Zhisheng’s Response to Public Concern About his Safety: “The Sky Won’t Fall”
Mr. Gao Zhisheng (center) and visiting rights activists.
1/13/2006
Updated:
1/13/2006

Well-known Chinese rights attorney Gao Zhisheng has written three open letters to Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao calling for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. His law office was permanently closed as a result of these letters, and his family is under daily surveillance by over 20 police officers using more than a dozen vehicles. Gao has recently been publishing articles giving the world an open diary of his daily life. On January 13, Gao was taken away by police, but released several hours later.

Not a Rumor

Reports in early January suggested that the Communist regime plans to eliminate Gao and his colleague, attorney Guo Feixiong, at any cost. Mr. Gao believes that these reports are not just rumors. He said, “the message that they are going to assassinate Guo Feixiong when he is not in Beijing was passed on to us through a very reliable channel, it is not a rumor.”

A political analyst said, “If the Communist regime is really going to arrest Gao Zhisheng, Guo Feixiong and other rights activators like them, the group of people that proposes the peaceful political transition in China will disappear. What the Communist regime will face will be rebellious groups with guns and knives.”

Some internet articles were recently published expressing support for Gao as the future president of China, which angered the Communist regime. In response to questions about these articles Mr. Gao said, “No matter what other people feel, everyone has the right to express their view. Regarding myself, I don’t like to see these kinds of articles. I have repeatedly emphasized that people should give more praise to those who have survived the Tiger Bench [1], because they are the true heroes, they suffered for the entire Chinese nation.”

When asked about his article that China will walk to democracy, Gao said, “I insist that I, as an individual, have the right to estimate when I think this will happen. We actually talked about this happening in the next six to twelve years. We can clearly see a new era, the beginning of offering an apology to the Chinese nation – to let those innocent people who died have peace, to let tens of thousands people go back home, who are homeless because they appealed the unjust treatment they received!”

During the New Year celebration period, many groups of people from all over China and from Beijing have been visiting attorney Gao and attorney Guo, who was recently released from prison. However, these visits have also made the authorities very nervous.

Conscience Drives People like Gao Zhisheng to Break the Silence

Gao Zhisheng said that he has experienced over 30 years of extreme hardship in his life, and this experience has made him sympathise with the weak, respect the elderly, and hold to his personal integrity and moral values. People who know Gao Zhisheng well, know how important his mother is to him, and understand his respect and loyalty to her. Regarding the repeated threats from the authorities to silence him, Gao simply answers, “The words and photos published by me merely reflect or express what I have experienced.”

He continued, “In one day, nearly 60 elderly appellants visited me, that scene had a strong impact on me. All of them have been put into detention centers before, and all of them are over 70 years old! Some of them have been detained several times. What is the government doing? Why does such a group of people exist in this society? This can only happen because this society has the mechanism to create such a tragedy. What reason does the government have to ask people like myself and Mr. Guo Feixiong to remain silent? If we keep our mouths shut, are we still ourselves?

Public Support

Gao has been receiving many phone calls offering support. One appellant currently staying in Beijing expressed a willingness to organize groups to protect him.

A representative for over 400 teachers from Yunnan province called to tell him, “We are paying attention to the news about you everyday, and we are prepared to give you our support! We are watching what the authorities are doing!” Despite the danger from the police monitoring Gao’s phone, she still wanted to give Gao the message.

One District Party Secretary CCP official told attorney Gao, “Right now, nobody is as faithful to the Communist Party as Falun Gong practitioners are to Falun Gong. To tell you the truth, there is no other system besides the current one, which could bring people like me so much fortune, such a good life, but we will definitely not be loyal to the Party.”

Two people who said they were National Security Department officials called Gao. They both told him, “I only have one word for you, please carry on if you feel it is the right thing to do!”

Regarding friends’ worry and concern, attorney Gao asked the Epoch Times to pass on this message, “The sky won’t fall! I am wholeheartedly thankful for friends; no matter whether they are from the mainland or overseas. But we still need to prepare ourselves, even in the peaceful transition, there must be someone to sacrifice something, the smallest sacrifice is freedom, the biggest sacrifice is our lives. The possibility that Guo Feixiong and I lose our lives is almost zero, although ’they‘ brazenly used the word ’assassination' with regards to Mr. Guo Feixiong.”

Mr. Gao urged the authorities to respond rationally to the people’s needs.

Regarding the current overreaction of the Communist regime, the Epoch Times asked if Gao had a message for them. Mr. Gao said, “I hope they will remain calm! Currently, they have mobilized over 20 police to monitor myself and my family 24 hours a day. This kind of indecent act is now seen by the world here every day. I call for them to stop this kind of evil behavior. It is meaningless. You are still a government! How could you do such an indecent, unlawful and immoral thing publicly?”

Gao also reminded the authorities, “There is one thing that everyone in China wants to see: the beginning of political reform. Chinese people are very tolerant people  their tolerance and forgiveness are beyond the imagination of the outside world. If the political reform could be started, it may be gradual, but it must be clear. This generation of leadership could have a very good ending.”

A political analyst pointed out that the current government should calmly analyze the current situation to determine who caused the nearly 100,000 riots in both 2004 and 2005? Were these caused by people like Gao Zhizheng or Guo Feixiong, or were they caused by those in power who cracked down on the Chinese people with arms and force?

Many scholars feel that if Gao Zhisheng and Guo Feixiong are arrested, those people who propose mild political transition in China will disappear. The Communist regime will then face rebellious groups with guns and knives.

[1] The tiger bench is a torture method frequently used by the CCP to pressure Falun Gong practitioners to give up their beliefs. Please refer to attorney Gao’s open letters to China’s leaders regarding this and other matters below.

Stop Persecuting Believers of Freedom and Mend Your Ties with the Chinese People
An Open Letter to Hu Jintao from Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada
Gao Zhisheng Sends Another Open Letter Protesting Unjust Treatment