Yu Jie: author who fights for those who fear to speak out
The 33-year-old critic and writer said the mausoleum of Mao in Tiananmen is an "abomination" and religious freedom "can only help the people".
Beijing (AsiaNews/SCMP) The Chinese author Yu Jie describes himself as a dangerous Christian who prefers to wage his battles through the printed word. He has set his sights on - among others - the Communist Party, religious persecution and even the legacy of Mao Zedong.
So it was hardly expected that the meek, 33-year-old Sichuan native, on a visit to Hong Kong from his home in Beijing, decided to march with the tens of thousands of demonstrators on July 1, to demand the right to choose their government. "I have been sceptical of mass events like that. I usually don't go to live concerts or watch a football match at the stadium because I think people's emotions get hyped up by the crowds. Distance allows me to stay calm and observe," he says. "But the rally on July 1 was rather peaceful and calm ... It shows Hong Kong is a very mature and civilised society and people know it will take some time to realise universal suffrage, not just through one single protest."
Yu is only too aware how long it can take to bring about change. He has pushed for greater religious freedom in his country, winning international recognition for his efforts. He met US President George W. Bush at the White House in May, joined by fellow Christians Wang Baiguang and Wang Yi.
"This meeting might have a symbolic effect in the long run because pressure from the US is the only thing China fears now. I believe Bush and his government now harbour more sympathy and show more consideration for the thousands of suppressed Christians in China now."
Yu rose to national fame in 1998 when, at the age of 25, he published his debut novel, Fire and Ice. It sold millions of copies and was widely considered one of China's top 10 books that year. A dozen or so books followed; they were mostly critical on modern Chinese history and society and were banned on the mainland. He earned a master's in contemporary Chinese literature at Peking University in 2000 and was then hired as a researcher for the China Association of Writers, but his contract was terminated on his first day at work.
He now sits on the board of China PEN, an international independent literary association that defends freedom of expression.
In 2004 Yu and several colleagues sparked controversy when, writing in Hong Kong's Kai Fang magazine, they said the corpse of Mao Zedong should be removed from the mausoleum in Tiananmen Square. "We criticise the Yasukuni Shrine," they wrote, "but right in the centre of China's capital Beijing, there is the Mao Zedong shrine that is as abhorrent as the Yasukuni Shrine. It is like a shrine for a slaughterman who killed his own countrymen."
Yu converted to Christianity three years ago, giving the central government, he says, one more reason to watch out for him. "The authorities didn't like me when I was just a dissident writer. Now that I am a Christian as well, they think I'm more dangerous."
The central government has been tightening its grip on Christians. The government-sanctioned Chinese Protestant Church said in April that there were 16 million Christians in China. But observers said this was an understatement as those attending unregistered, or "underground", churches were not taken into account. Some said the number should be three times as much. According to the US-based Christian rights group China Aid Association, 1,958 Chinese underground church pastors and worshippers in 15 provinces were detained with 12 months until last May.
Yu says the community is growing rapidly, citing the Ark House Church he founded, which saw membership surge from six in 2003 to 60 now - mostly academics, journalists and artists. "More and more people are interested in religion; they want to pursue something much more in life," he said.
Observers have taken the recent World Buddhist Forum and the government's promotion of Confucius and Guoxue, or Chinese civilisation and culture studies, as signs that Beijing has turned to religion to fill the moral vacuum left by an era of single-mindedly pursuing money.
Yu says the government is aware Christianity is deeply at odds with party ideology, but he is confident the spread of Christianity can help solve many problems facing the nation. "If more intellectuals convert to Christianity, they could help change society through forgiveness and peace, which are never advocated in Chinese culture," he said. "That could reduce the possibility of violent conflicts too. Religion can play the same role in China as it had played during political transition in countries like South Korea, South Africa and Eastern Europe."
Commenting on a rise of rights activism, or weiquan, across the mainland in recent years, Yu said defending the rights of the public should be done in compliance with the law in a "mild and progressive" manner.
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