China Democracy Party

Infobox PRC political parties
party_name = China Democracy Party
中国民主党
colorcode = blue
party_
leader =
foundation = June 28, 1998
ideology = Democracy
headquarters =
members =

China Democracy Party (CDP) (zh-stp |s=中国民主党|t=中國民主黨|p=Zhōngguó Mínzhǔ Dǎng) is a political party that started in the People's Republic of China, and banned by the Communist Party of China (CPC).Gittings, John. "The Changing Face of China: From Mao to Market". (2005). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0192806122] The history of the CDP and its foundation date is unclear because it has many historical paths under different groups of founders. It is generally recognized to have assembled in 1998 by democracy activists and former student leaders from the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 according to western sources. [Edmonds, Richard Louis. (2000). "The People's Republic of China After 50 Years". Oxford University Press. ISBN 0199240655]

History

Foundation

While the earliest date listed for the founding to be June 25, 1998, the group registered the party on June 28, 1998 when Bill Clinton was visiting China.Goldsmith, Jack L. Wu, Tim. (2006). "Who Controls the Internet?: Illusions of Borderless World." Oxford university press. ISBN 01895152662] Wang Youcai, one of the main activists during the 1989 Tiananmen protest along with Wang Donghai and Lin Hui went to the Civil Public Affair Hall of Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province to officially register this party. The registration was declined.

Communist Party response

The next day on June 29, 1998, Wang was arrested by the state police at his own home in front of his family members. He was charged with creating opposition against the Chinese government. His trial began on December 18, he had no lawyer defense, his trial lasted only a few hours. He was quickly sentenced on December 21, 1998 to 11 years of imprisonment and three years of deprivation of political rights for subversion.

On the same day, Xu Wenli, a 55 year old member was also sentenced to 13 years for overthrowing the Communist party.Mackerras, Colin. (2001). "The New Cambridge Handbook of Contemporary China". ISBN 0521786746]

On December 22, 1998, Qing Yongmin was sentenced to 12 years to prison for harming state security.

Li Peng, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress at the time proclaimed, "If a group is designed to negate the leadership of the Communist Party, then it will not be allowed to exist."

The Communist party declared the CDP an "illegal organization", followed by a crackdown in Beijing in 1998. After the sentencing on December 23, 1998, the Supreme People's Court then declared that, "anyone who knowingly publishes, prints, copies, or distributes material containing incitement to overthrow state power and the socialist system or split the country" could be tried for crimes. Such charges could result in life sentences for film directors, computer software developers, writers and artists, and media and publishing personnel, all of whom are subject to the new directive. [ [http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/china-98/chron398.htm Hrw.org] ]

Crackdown on other members

There were hundreds of CDP members that were detained, arrested, and sentenced to prison. Liu Xianbin, Wu Yilong, Gao Hongmin, Zha Jianguo, Mao Qinxiang, Zhu Yufu, Zhuzhengming, Liu Shizhun, Xu Guang, She Wanbao, Chen Shuqing, etc., are some of the members of the party. Cyber dissident He Depu was also arrested in a correction facility.

Present

Later Xu Wenli and Wang Youcai were exiled to the US on December 24, 2002 and March 4, 2004. On August 13, 2006, the first congress of the CDP was convened in the Sheraton Hotel of Flushing, Queens, New York in the United States. [http://www.cdp2006.org/dylt/EN3.htm Cdp2006.org The Proclamation of the First Congress of China Democracy Party] ] Ni Yu Xian, the leader of China's democracy movement, one of the founders of CDP and the China Freedom & Democracy Party, presided over the congress. A total of 111 delegates from all the provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions of China attended the Congress. The congress passed the Statutes of China Democracy Party, Party Program, and some important resolutions.

Party summary

The CDP suggests the ideas of "Prosperity Fairness Democracy" (富裕 公平 民主) and "Freedom Law Human-Rights" (自由 法制 人权/人權). The CDP has five unique features:

# The Chinese Democracy Party was founded in mainland China.
# Based on the many documents issued by the China Democracy Party Zhejiang Organizing Committee and the Beijing-Tianjin Party Office in 1998, especially the “Declaration of the China Democracy Party for the New Century” issued by Chinese Democracy Party United Headquarter on January 1, 2000, it is clear that the CDP is firmly established on a solid foundation of true democratic ideals.
# The Chinese Democracy Party was founded by a large group of people. Its key members are mainly from participants of the 1978 Chinese Democracy Wall Movement, the 1989 Democracy Movement, and various democracy movements from abroad. The vast majority of its leadership was chosen through fair elections. More than 40 of its leaders have endured the suffering of imprisonment. Until today, more than 20 of its leaders are still in prison.
# The organizing movement of the Chinese Democracy Party occurred in 28 provinces and autonomous regions in Mainland China, as well as various locations abroad; therefore, the Party’s influence and scale is nation-wide.
# Since the first day of its founding, the Chinese Democracy Party has been receiving close attention from the government of the United States and other nations. Specifically in 1999 under the leadership of Mr. Wang Xizhe, the United Nation Commission on Human Rights nominated CDP members Xu Wenli, Qin Yongmin and Wang Youcai for the Nobel Peace Prize. [ [http://taiwantt.org.tw/fortaiwan/fortaiwan4/contents2/newpage81.htm Taiwantt.org.tw] ]

ee also

* List of political parties in the People's Republic of China
* Golden Shield Project
* Union of Chinese Nationalists

References

External links

* [http://www.cdp2006.org China Democracy Party USA Headquarters]
* [http://www.cdp1998.org China Democratic Party Union Chinese Democratic Party Union]
* [http://www.ccdtr.org Future China Coordinative Service Platform of China Democracy Party/Chinese Constitutional Democratic Transition Research]
* [http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/china-98/chron398.htm Human Rights Watch, Human Rights Chronology: China, Hong Kong, Tibet - November-December 1998]
* [http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/yahoo-hit-second-chinese-dissident/story.aspx?guid=%7B3291E981-B723-4CE3-869F-6F259ABD1EE3%7D Yahoo hit with second Chinese dissident lawsuit]

* [http://www.uocn.org Union of Chinese Nationalists Official Website]