From ccf-editor@ifcss.org Fri Jul 15 16:58:18 1994 Date: Fri, 15 Jul 94 16:57:14 EDT From: ccf-editor@ifcss.org (Weihe Guan) To: china-nt@uga.cc.uga.edu Subject: Chinese Community Bulletin (CCB #940714) ===+==+==+==+==+==+== Chinese Community Bulletin ==+==+==+==+==+==+=== (CCB 940714) +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= Chinese Community Bulletin (CCB) is one of the supplementary issues of Chinese Community Forum (CCF). It collects contributions on various topics which are not published in CCF regular issues or other supplementary issues. The opinions expressed in CCB do not necessarily represent the editors'. +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+= Table of Contents: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Sen Hu On "non-politicalness" of IFCSS and its political consequences From: Qingsong Zhang Comments on Luo Ning's Statements (1): A Call for Unity From: Qingsong Zhang "Whose Fault?" Comments on Luo Ning's Statement (2) From: Jerry Let's Face the Fact: Whose Fault? From: Guoqing Lin Thoughts and Forwarding "Make CBS committee permanent" From: Zhiqiang Zhou Roommate needed at ACS meeting in Washington. D.C. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 12 Jul 94 22:27:01 EDT From: shu@math.ias.edu (Sen Hu) The following is an old paper I wrote in 1991. It might be interesting in some aspects so I made an English translation here. It is certainly my own view. Thanks for your patience and interests, Hu Sen -------------- On "non-politicalness" of IFCSS and its political consequences by Hu Sen (Written in 1991, published in "Press Freedom Herald", 8/31,1991) The meaning of "non-politicalness" of IFCSS is that IFCSS not to emphasize its politicalness rather to emphasize its nature as an independent grass root organization. It would then imply that IFCSS to consolidate itself in CSS community by better communication and better services and to actively engage in works on China. At the third convention of IFCSS, when asked about what had been done by IFCSS in promoting progress of China in aspects of academic exchange, economic development etc (as required by IFCSS Charter), IFCSS HQ answered "almost none". The main work they did with Chinese government was to hand in pretest letters. China is undergone a tremendous change, oversea CSS would play an important role, it shouldn't happen that IFCSS hadn't done anything. If we observe the development of China in the last ten years what we found that one of the important feature is "non-politicalness". It is "everything for money" in business, "doing art for its own sake" in arts and establishing professional technocrats system(Gong1 Wu4 Yuan2) in politics, etc. Those kinds of non-politicalness is most political to a communism authorization. The Communism has made everything political, the "non-politicalness" has fundamentally undermined communism's ideology. In the last ten years, the civil society in China has been growing, the concepts such as "humanity", "human right" which are transcendent with respect to culture and politics are spreading out. Even after June 4th massacre, the trend of "non-politicalness" is continuing in China. As a consequence the stronger civil society and regional power are growing and they become the strong forces in the progress of democratization of China. We see that considering "non-politicalness" as giving up the principle of "human right" and "democracy" is a completely misunderstanding. Freedom and democracy can't be achieved by shouting slogans or even by political activities alone. As for the communism authorization in China, the "non-politicalness" route could be the best way in making a breakthrough getting out of the authorization. Those might be the good angle to look at IFCSS and other organizations as for their meaning of their existence. The most important meaning is their "independence". As for IFCSS, the crucial condition of its existence is to be recognized by most CSS. In the last two years it has made some efforts. The lobby for J-1 visa had got very wide supports. The work in second year let IFCSS to be financially independent. However, we can't ignore many existing problems such as favoring American politics vs giving up work on China, active in politics vs non-participation of grass-roots etc. In its lobby there lacked of communication and the majority CSS' will were ignored and related files being published not in time etc. If this last long, IFCSS would lost supports of many CSS and this would be most dangerous to IFCSS. As a grass-root organization IFCSS is different from political organizations such as FDC and CAD. FDC and CAD's oversea active work to prepare to be an opposition party in China is very meaningful. Yet IFCSS should play a different role. If it were identified as a political organization it would lost lots of its members. If only doing political activity it would lost many chances to work to China. As shown above, it does not follow the change in China and it violate the principle of diversity. There are many excellent people working with IFCSS, if work well, it would make great contributions to the peaceful evolution of China. (Two paragraphs about passed motions in 3rd Convention, omitted here) As shown above, "non-politicalness" of IFCSS, i.e. identify IFCSS as an independent grass root organization, has very important political consequences. The IFCSS which is recognized by most CSS is the most powerful one. Its power would force communism government to talk to her. The great manpower related to IFCSS and their active engagement in China would make good influences to China. Oversea's work and mainland's own development would meet together to make great progress of democratization of China. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 13 Jul 1994 02:41:00 -0400 From: Qingsong Zhang Subject: Comments on Luo Ning's Statements (1): A Call for Unity A Veteran's Response to Luo Ning's Statements Zhang Qingsong 1. A Call for Unity =================== In the past five years, I have spent a tremendous amount of time in IFCSS's activities, including the memorandum to President Bush in 1989, Human Rights Committee in 1990, IFCSS Executive Director in 1992-1993 and IFCSS "Acting" Editor-in-Chief in 1993- 1994. Had I not been involved in IFCSS, I would have made a better living for my family and completed my dissertation two or three years ago. However, I have no regret because I believe that I have done something to help our country and our fellow CSS in the United States. I also believe that it is the sacrifice, commitment and devotion that many IFCSS activists have shown in the past that made IFCSS unique and successful. I was very, very surprised and disappointed to read Luo Ning's campaign announcement and statements from his group because they are saturated with hatred, misrepresentation, distortion, irresponsible allegation and excessive agitation. I think this is an unhealthy and dangerous trend. I am worried that because Luo Ning has been putting so much into winning the election, he might have lost sight of the bigger picture -- the interests of the CSS (including the so-called new comers), the ideals and future of IFCSS and the fundamental principles of truth, fairness and justice. I was surprised to see that Luo Ning's camp labelled other IFCSS activists as "political extremists" and "money seeking and power hunger people." I was really confused whether IFCSS has been really degenerated into such a status as described by Luo Ning (quoting his own words: IFCSS "has become more and more isolationist, partisan, and exclusive, creating an unhealthy environment wherein dissenting opinions are suppressed, factious fights endured, and elitism perpetuated). I was amused to see Luo Ning and his supporters blame other IFCSS activists for wrong- doings which have been committed by themselves. I was annoyed to see that Luo Ning attacked IFCSS from all angles and posed himself as a "savior." I was disappointed that Luo Ning's statements do not show objective analysis, clear vision and concrete plans but just agitation and empty promises. I was indignant that Luo Ning's camp publicly accused others for "illegal activities" but could not produce evidence. I think that what Luo Ning and his group has done is not in the best interest of IFCSS and what it stands for. They are introducing group politics, hatred, "class struggle" into IFCSS. They have been so obsessed with spreading negative images of IFCSS and inciting anti-IFCSS sentiment that it would be hard for next term leaders to reestablish popular support and recover IFCSS's reputation losses. In fact, Luo Ning has engaged himself so deeply in a negative campaign that he is making a "fame" for himself at the expense of IFCSS, his formal colleagues and all those who have supported IFCSS in the past. I think it is the common desire and best interest of our country, the CSS and all those who care about IFCSS that this organization remains stable, unified and strong. Please do not intentionally defame IFCSS and its activists. Please do not play "new comers" against the old comers, "moderates" against the "radicals," "groups" against "groups," and CSS against CSS. There is little difference among us. For the future of China and for the interests of CSS, let us remain united and keep IFCSS in its right course. Otherwise, we will all become victims of "divide and control." If IFCSS is destroyed, who will laugh and clap hands? The Butchers of Beijing! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 13 Jul 1994 03:54:20 -0400 From: Qingsong Zhang Subject: "Whose Fault?" Comments on Luo Ning's Statement (2) An Veteran's Comments on Luo Ning's Campaign Zhang Qingsong 2. Who's Fault: A Comment on Representation =========================================== In Luo Ning's campaign statements, he accused other IFCSS activists for leading IFCSS into an "isolationist, partisan, and exclusive" organization. He claimed that IFCSS has alienated itself from the CSS community. Therefore, one of his campaign slogan was that IFCSS should represent the WHOLE rather than SOME of the CSS community. He said: "It is imperative for IFCSS to stop its trend toward a more exclusive club and to include all groups with diverse orientations and interests." He tried to give people an impression that he has been trying to stop this trend in the past: "What I have been advocating for years and will strive to achieve if I am elected president of IFCSS is for IFCSS to position its place properly: IFCSS is a CSS community organization!" I do not think that Luo Ning's description of an isolated IFCSS is based on an objective assessment, nor does it reflect the real situation. But, I am not going to argue this point. Let us assume that Luo Ning's observation is objective. My question is: "whose fault?" Luo Ning obviously would not volunteer to take responsibilities, in fact he has pointed figures at other IFCSS activists. I do not think that Luo Ning is playing a fair game because he is blaming others for something he has done. If my memory serves me well, it was Luo Ning who vehemently argued that it was O.K. for IFCSS to represent not the WHOLE but only A GROUP of CSS. If IFCSS has truly (which I disagree) become an "isolationist" organization, Luo Ning should bravely take the responsibility rather than trying to find "scapegoats." To prove my point, I searched my old files and found an article posted by Luo Ning on China-net exactly two years ago (July 6, 1992). Let us see what Luo Ning proposed then (I put underline marks under some words). ---------------------------------------------- [Quotation of Luo Ning's article starts here]: Date: Mon, 6 Jul 1992 20:08:28 -0500 Sender: CHINA-NT@uga.cc.uga.edu The Question of IFCSS's Representation ---- Reflections on the Fourth Convention The single most challenging question about IFCSS since its birth has been: "Whom does IFCSS represent?" Many people, myself included, have the dissonant or even disgust feeling toward the repeated claim that "IFCSS, representing the 40,000 CSS in US...". Many delegates to the Fourth Convention (or Congress, "4da") have also expressed the opinion that IFCSS should not make such a claim any more, for IFCSS's sake. IFCSS represents those, and only those, who want to identify themselves (openly or in heart) with IFCSS, though they may not necessarily have the same opinions and stands on various issues as IFCSS. It is neither necessary nor good for IFCSS to inflate its representation. Some briefing on the short history of IFCSS may be helpful in understanding IFCSS's urge in protecting its representational position. When IFCSS was established in the 1989 Chicago Joint Meeting of CSS in US (the meeting became the 1da of IFCSS), it met immediate challenge from Chinese Government (CG). CG tried to undermine IFCSS by claiming that it represented less than 10% of CSS in US. Before the "10.1" demonstration in D.C., a lot of pressure was exerted on CSS to prevent them to join in. It seemed that such pressure worked in the opposite way. This might be one of the reasons that CG changed its policy toward IFCSS. The existence and significance (whether appraised or condemned) of IFCSS have become a fact in modern Chinese history. In my own view, IFCSS didn't even have to make the claim of "40,000..." in its first year, even though I am sympathetic to those colleagues who thought such claim was critical to IFCSS's initial survival against CG's pressure. I have more confidence in IFCSS's significance than its representation of "40,000...". [Quotation ends here] --------------------- I have no more comments because the quotes speak themselves. Final comment: for a candidate running for an important position as IFCSS presidency, our minimum requirement is to have some decency and honesty. I believe that Xing Zheng and Liu Yuhe have such qualifications. Their team wins my trust. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Thu, 14 Jul 1994 09:00:47 -0500 From: Jerry Subject: Let's Face the Fact: Whose Fault? Let's Face the Fact: Whose Fault? --An analysis of the reason for less participation from CSS community in IFCSS Talking about the responsibility of dwindling participation from CSS in the IFCSS organization, Mr Zhang Qingsong, a member of Xing Zheng's campaign group and a CURRENT IFCSS official, launched an attack blaming Luo Ning on the current IFCSS dreadful situation. The accusation is really ridiculous as Luo Ning has never being an IFCSS president or Executive Director before. This prompts me to question the mentality of the author who launched that attack. Well, it should not be Mr. Zhang Qingsong's fault, because he has already obtained or is about to obtain his Ph.D, he should have the mentality to perform a rational thinking. It is Xing Zheng's fault, or his campaign group's fault, since they try to use this kind of negative campaign to denigrate their opponent. Here I won't argue whether this kind of strong bias argument and name calling is appropriate from a current IFCSS official, I just try to use fact to answer the same question: Whose fault? Whose fault? The reason that lead to the less participation from CSS is due to the negligence of the common CSS's will and interest by the IFCSS officials. For years, people in IFCSS HQ have taken actions of their owns without consulting the ordinary CSS. Due to their radical nature, when facing the major events that are of interest to the majority CSS, they tend to act in a manner that the majority of CSS won't like to see. From the Beijing Olympic Bid to the MFN issue, they never listen to the voice of the CSS (like the MFN poll). Their radical actions have alienated the IFCSS and themselves from the CSS. So whose fault? Those radical people in IFCSS HQ's fault. Since Mr. Zhang Qingsong has been in IFCSS HQ for years, he also holds undeniable responsibility for this deadlock facing IFCSS. Whose fault? The people in IFCSS HQ who have unprofressional working styles should also hold the responsibility. Those people of bigotry who rape the will of the ordinary CSS; Those so-called elites who are always in favor of a non-democratic way; Those democratic abusers in IFCSS who take advantage of their organizational affiliation for their personal gains. Such as, Lin Changsheng's claiming his hunger strike as being representing himself; Such as, Mr. Zhang Qingsong, a current IFCSS official, who jump out to support one part of the candidate to against another; And again, Zhang Qingsong, without being formally elected as ACTING EDITOR IN CHIEF of IFCSS Newsletter, claims himself to be that in the public. With these kind of radical people in the IFCSS HQ, How couldn't the ordinary CSS be scared away? IFCSS have been run like a quasi-CCP organization by some radical people who are accustomed to imposing their personal will on the majority of CSS. This is why the participation from the CSS community is dwindling. Now, the radical people like Zhang Qingsong is preaching another radical people to be in the presidency, should the majority of CSS here let them do it again? NO! We need people of high professional morality to run the IFCSS, we need people who are able to accomodate different ideas/interests in IFCSS, and we need people who can really listen to the majority of CSS in IFCSS. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 11 Jul 1994 09:51:30 -0500 (EST) From: V243LWFY@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu Subject: Thoughts and Forwarding "Make CBS committee permanent" Dear Fellow CSS, The following is an article posted on SOC.CULTURE.CHINA. I have asked for and obtained the permission from the author to forward it to CCF. At the time of the re-election of IFCSS officials in US, I think it is imperative for those candidates, and more importantly for those vote-holding representatives to know the cries for building a strong Chinese community identity from ordinary Chinese at any corner of the world, especially at this "FREE" land of North America. We hear the "free" voices, feel the "free" atmosphere, experience the "free" adventures by our own and more often times by others. Yet, how much of "free" will can we express and how much "free" action can we take by our each individual and by our community as a whole. We have been too often referred as scattering sands, and left defenseless as a community and then of course as an individual in the history and even today. I think, and I believe we can change that image and that fate. We are a new generation. We no longer rely only on the "scissors and kitchen knives". We can, we shall make a new start, fighting for and achieving the EQUAL FREEDOM among other communities in this society. Thank you for your attention. Guoqing Lin ---------- Forwarded Message ----------- From: he@server.uwindsor.ca (Herb Ho) Subject: Make CBS committee permanent Date: Wed, 6 Jul 1994 19:25:46 GMT Netters: The CBS incident, along with other incidents, clearly demonstrates an acute need for an organized defense of the Chinese community in North America, where the Chinese people as a whole and those from the mainland in particular have always been vulnerable to unwarranted and unjustifiable attacks. We are almost always the first to target when anything goes wrong in our host country and a scapegoat is needed. Sadly, we do not yet have an organization that is primarily devoted to our own protection from the often systematic and usually venomous disinformation about and discrimination against us. We do not have a unified or even collective voice to speak against such grave wrongs as the CBS defamation, and neither do we have an organizational vehicle to seek redress when a grieved CSS individual cries out for help. We live in North America, and the immediate threat of our most basic rights and interests invariably comes from within this land. Yet, the organizations we have now usually neglect or ignore our problems, difficulties, or grievances here. As much as these organizations claim to represent us, they frequently do us a disservice by helping to perpetuate, either deliberately or unwittingly, the myths and lies about our community. And we are sometimes even told to bow to pressures. In a sense, our vulnerability is of our own making. Divided and split asunder, we have made ourselves easy targets whenever our host country tries to look for a convenient scapegoat. The situation has no doubt worsened since the demise of the former Soviet Union, as the parasites of the Cold War era hunt for new enemies to suck. In view of the threat, we the Chinese need a powerful and credible organization to lead and coordinate our defense. The constant assault on our integrity and welfare must be repelled, unless we want to be seared by the flames of racism. An organization takes a long time to build, but the work must start now. The CBS Incident Committee has been doing a wonderful job since its inception, and Mr. Mi Mi, its coordinator, should especially be commended for his courage and diligence in showing leadership. As this committee, ad hoc though it may be, represents the first concerted effort by the mainland Chinese to fight against injustices in America, I propose that it be made permanent as well as independent so that we can build upon it an all-North America organization that we can truly call our own. I am sure that all members of the Chinese community will be well served if a serious discussion takes place on the net as how we can do this. Herb ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 12 Jul 94 07:40:31 EST From: ZZHU@VM.CC.FAMU.EDU Subject: Roommate needed at ACS meeting in Washington. D.C. A female roommate is needed to share a hotel room in the ACS meeting in Washington D.C. in August, 1994. Interested please response to this address or qunlin@vm.cc.famu.edu, or call 904-599-3638 (day)/ 904-421-0015 (night). Thank you. 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