Diesen Monat geht es eine ganz besondere Art von Literatur. Dieses Buch besteht vollständig aus Briefen die vom Autor Wei Jingsheng im Chinesischen Gefängnis verfasst wurden.
Internationally recognized as a major publishing event, The Courage to Stand Alone is a collection of prison writings from the world’s most famous political prisoner. Wei Jingsheng, who has spent nearly two decades in prison for „counterrevolutionary“ activities, confirms his status as a symbol for Chinese democracy, as he eloquently and fearlessly confronts a regime that not only fails to protect basic human rights but actively violates them. Devoid of ideological rant, the letters to Deng Xiaoping and other officials capture the verve, intelligence, audacity, and mordant humor of a man obstinately struggling to bring freedom to the world’s most populous country. Also included are touching letters to his family, excerpts of his groundbreaking political essays, and his moving defense statement at trial.
Quelle: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/813019.The_Courage_to_Stand_Alone
Hier spricht er selbst: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmLleA6-zpM
Wei Jingsheng ist eine Wahnsinnig inspirierende und herzliche Persönlichkeit. Geistreich und kritisch schreibt er trotz seiner Umstände und Unterlegenheit gegen das System kritische Briefe an die Regierung Chinas und die Gefängnisleitung unter anderem. Auch seiner Familie schreibt er regelmäßig und mit viel Herz und Nachsicht. Beim lesen merkt man das dieser Mann nicht leicht unterzukriegen ist, und wortgewandt und mutig gegen die Ungerechtigkeit kämpft.
Von 1979 bis 1997 war Wei Jingsheng inhaftiert, insgesamt 18 Jahre.
Wei did not publicly voice his feelings until 1978, when he decided to take part in the newly emerged Democracy Wall movement taking place in Beijing. On 5 December 1978, he posted an essay he authored to the wall, entitled, „The Fifth Modernization“ as a response to Paramount leader Deng Xiaoping’s essay, the Four Modernizations. Wei’s basic theme in the essay is that democracy also should be a modernization goal for China along with the other four proposed by Deng (the four being: industry, agriculture, science and technology, and national defense).