Yang Jianli

From: Subject: Yang Jianli Date: Tue, 8 Jan 2008 12:57:40 -0500 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0034_01C851F6.0D4D3EF0" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3198 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0034_01C851F6.0D4D3EF0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://www.yangjianli.com/articles/yangjianli20070925_en.htm Yang Jianli

Yang Jianli's Meeting with Archbishop Desmond = Tutu in=20 Boston

On Tuesday, September 25th at the Sheraton Boston, Nobel Peace = Prize=20 winner, Archbishop Desmond Tutu was honored for his work in the = fight=20 against AIDS at a fundraising dinner hosted by Shared, Inc., a=20 Massachusetts not-for profit group involved in charitable work to = improve=20 access to the essentials of good health. Dr. Yang Jianli and his = wife,=20 Christina Fu, were invited as guests by the Shared president, = Elizabeth=20 Ziemba, who provided an opportunity for Dr. Yang to meet with = Archbishop=20 Tutu.=20

In May of 2002, one month after Yang Jianli was detained in = China,=20 Archbishop Tutu met with Christina at the Brookline church where = Yang's=20 family attends services. Afterwards, he wrote a letter to the = Chinese=20 government expressing deep concerns about Yang's well-being and = urged the=20 Chinese to release Yang for humanitarian reasons. He also appealed = to the=20 Chinese government to practice more political openness and foster=20 reconciliation with dissidents.=20

At the event on the evening of the 25th, Archbishop Tutu warmly = opened=20 his arms to embrace Dr. Yang as Yang walked up to him. Tutu said = to Yang=20 repeatedly "five years, five years....!" Some people were in tears = and=20 deeply touched by Tutu's loving kindness and genuine concern shown = towards=20 Yang. Tutu then told Yang, "I read your speech given last week at = the=20 church. It is very moving." Yang expressed his gratitude to Tutu = for his=20 personal interest in his five-year ordeal and for his support = promoting=20 human rights in China. Tutu asked Yang, "What are you doing now?" = Yang=20 replied that he is trying to reveal to the international community = a true=20 China and its human rights conditions, and he wishes that the = combined=20 forces of civilization inside and outside China will compel the = Chinese=20 government, before and after the 2008 Beijing Olympics, to yield = to human=20 rights for the long term. Tutu applauded Yang and said, "I support = you."=20 Later when Tutu delivered his address at the dinner, he asked the = audience=20 to give both Dr. Yang and his wife a round of applause to stand in = solidarity for the hardships they had endured.=20

Archbishop Tutu, now 76 years old, became the first black=20 Secretary-General of the South African Council of Churches in = 1978. From=20 this position, he devoted himself to work against apartheid = through his=20 writings and lectures, exposing truth in history and at the = present. He=20 consistently advocated truth-based reconciliation between all = parties=20 involved in apartheid. The value of his contribution to eventually = ending=20 apartheid and realizing democracy in South Africa has been = unmatched.=20 Because of this, Tutu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. = In 1995=20 South African President Nelson Mandela appointed Tutu the head of = the=20 Truth and Reconciliation Committee which investigated allegations = of human=20 rights abuses during the apartheid era. Later Tutu wrote a book = titled "No=20 Future without Forgiveness" which summarized his work, his = beliefs, ideas,=20 thoughts and experience. Not long after Yang Jianli was released = from=20 prison, a friend in Beijing gave him this book in Chinese. During = their=20 meeting, Yang asked Tutu for his autograph. Tutu wrote on the book = "You=20 are wonderful and courageous. God bless you."=20

Yang Jianli, a long time activist striving for a non-violent = and=20 constitutional democracy in China, told the reporters that = evening, "For=20 many years, Archbishop Tutu has been a source of morality, = kindness and=20 faith worldwide. He has been an inspiration to me since I was very = young.=20 His thoughts and beliefs, his wisdom and courage, his moral = strength and=20 practices are invaluable treasures to human beings of all walks of = life,=20 at all times and in all places. They are for those who wish the = world to=20 be a better place and are applicable to the Chinese and to China's = reforms=20 in the process of democratization." In the preface of his book = (Chinese=20 edition), Tutu wrote: "If China can carefully and properly deal = with the=20 pain of the past, she will become a greater country."=20

Yang Jianli also took this opportunity to introduce to the = Shared=20 president the work, contributions and difficulties encountered in = AIDS=20 prevention and AIDS patients' rights protection by Chinese = individuals,=20 especially Gao Yaojie, Hu Jia, Jiang Yanyong and Wan Yanhai, among = others.=20

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---Distributed by Chinaeweekly.com=20

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