China Democracy Party
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222744969
2008-06-30T22:08:59Z
Ground Zero
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{{Infobox PRC political parties|
party_name = China Democracy Party <br> 中国民主党 |
colorcode = blue |
party_logo = [[Image:ChinaDemocracyParty.gif|center|100px|China Democracy Party USA logo]] |
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 [[List of political parties in the People's Republic of China|political party]] that started in the [[People's Republic of China]], and banned by the [[Communist Party of China]] (CPC).<ref name="Gittings">Gittings, John. ''The Changing Face of China: From Mao to Market''. (2005). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0192806122</ref> 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.<ref name="Gittings" /><ref>Edmonds, Richard Louis. (2000). ''The People's Republic of China After 50 Years''. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0199240655</ref>
==Pre-history==
One of the earliest Chinese [[dissident]]s to have taken part in the party's creation was Wang Xizhe who pushed for democracy in 1974. Wang setup independent publication unions in 1980, until [[Deng Xiaoping]] cracked down on the movement and gave Wang a 14 year prison sentence. He helped initiate a number of opposing parties including the Chinese Justice Party, Chinese Freedom Labor Party, the Free China Movement Party and the China Democracy Party.<ref>Bell, Daniel A. Chae bong Ham. (2003). ''Confucianism for the Modern World''. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521527880.</ref>
Other smaller groups in March 4, 1977 were created including the Shanghai Democracy Party after the [[Tiananmen Incident|Tiananmen Incident of 1976]]. The initial group was led by Mr. Ni, who he was put in jail for opposing the atrocities committed by the CPC and calling for a dictatorial regime overthrow. Two years later, due to infighting between [[Chairman of the Communist Party of China|Communist party chairman]] [[Hua Guofeng]] and Deng Xiaoping, Mr. Ni was lucky to have a narrow escape.<ref name="CDPproc">[http://www.cdp2006.org/dylt/EN3.htm Cdp2006.org The Proclamation of the First Congress of China Democracy Party]</ref>
In January 1986, Mr. Ni was sent to the [[United States]] by the CDP. He immediately entered into cooperation with the "China Democracy Alliance", led by Comrades Wang Bin Zhang, Hu Ping and Xue Wei, etc. In 1987, the Democracy Alliance members, led by Wang Bin Zhang started to organize the party and officially put up the banners of the China Democracy Party. Efforts were made to combine the other parties, but progress was limited due to the many problems between the smaller groups.<ref name="CDPproc" />
==History==
===Foundation===
Another group mainly became the new focal point and took advantage of the brief [[Beijing Spring|second Beijing Spring period]] in 1997, when political talks were more open. During this time, the death of [[Deng Xiaoping]] and the [[Handover of Hong Kong]] took place. [[Jiang Zemin]]'s administration also just signed the [[International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights]] to promote international goodwill.<ref name="Gittings" /> The new members of the CDP in [[mainland China]] were also much more technically savvy with websites setup on servers around the world.<ref name="Goldsmith">Goldsmith, Jack L. Wu, Tim. (2006). ''Who Controls the Internet?: Illusions of Borderless World.'' Oxford university press. ISBN 01895152662</ref>
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.<ref name="Goldsmith" /> Wang Youcai, one of the main activist 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.<ref name="Goldsmith" />
===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.<ref name="Goldsmith" /> 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]].<ref name="Goldsmith" />
On the same day, Xu Wenli, a 55 year old member was also sentenced to 13 years for overthrowing the Communist party.<ref name="Mackerras">Mackerras, Colin. (2001). ''The New Cambridge Handbook of Contemporary China''. ISBN 0521786746</ref>
On December 22, 1998, Qing Yongmin was sentenced to 12 years to prison for harming state security.<ref name="Mackerras" />
[[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."<ref name="Gittings"/>
The Communist party declared the CDP an ''illegal organization'', followed by a crackdown in [[Beijing]] in 1998.<ref name="Gittings" /> 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.<ref>[http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/china-98/chron398.htm Hrw.org]</ref>
===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.<ref name="CDPproc" /> 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.
In January 2008, Zheng Cunzhu who joined the Party early in 2001 established Local Committee of China Democracy Party to advocate the political reform at city/county level in China.
==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 [[Democracy Wall Movement|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]].<ref>[http://taiwantt.org.tw/fortaiwan/fortaiwan4/contents2/newpage81.htm Taiwantt.org.tw]</ref>
==Chinese Constitutional Democratic Transition Research==
Chinese Constitutional Democratic Transition Research is founded in 2006 by group of Chinese overseas students and exiled members of China Democracy Party. The objective is to support the development of China Democracy Party and to promote the constitutional democratic transition in China. They are Lin Hui, Wang Donghai, Lv Gengsong, Shan Chenfeng, Xu Guang, Chen Shuqing, Gao Yeju, [[Wang Youcai]], and Chen Zhiwei etc, and Wang Youcai, Wang Donghai and Lin Hui are the first three people to register the China Democracy Party in Zhejiang Province in June 25, 1998.
==Coordinative Service Platform of China Democracy Party==
China Democracy Party Coordinative Service Platform was founded by the members of China Democracy Party members who are in China, overseas students, and exiled China Democracy Party Members. The initiative group members are [[Wang Youcai]], [[Lin Hui]], [[Chen Shuqing]], [[Chen Zhiwei]],[[Gao Yeju]], [[Lv Gengsong]], [[Xu Guang]], [[Shan Chenfeng]],and many other members.
==Local Committee of China Democracy Party==
In January 2008, party member Zheng Cunzhu established the Local Committee of China Democracy Party. Zheng Cunzhu is a former student leader during 1989's pre-democratic movements in [[Anhui]] province, and he published an open letter to the leaders of China to advocate the re-starting of political reform.
==See also==
* [[List of political parties in the People's Republic of China]]
* [[Golden Shield Project]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==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]
[[Category:Political parties in the People's Republic of China]]
[[Category:Banned political parties]]
[[de:Demokratische Partei Chinas]]
[[fr:Parti démocrate chinois]]
[[ja:中国民主党 (中華人民共和国)]]
[[zh:中国民主党]]