After learning of the news of Zhao Ziyang's death on Jan. 17, Mr. Hu Jiwei, prompted by his deep grief, wrote a letter to request the CCP to hold a memorial ceremony for Zhao and restore his reputation. In response, the CCP sent him a set of four specific instructions. In reply he wrote an article to elaborate why Zhao Ziyang was not wrong in opposing the suppression of the June 4th event, and pointed out all sorts of faults in the instructions and the mistakes the CCP made in dealing with Zhao Ziyang.

Hu Jiwei used to be the editor-in-chief and director of the People’s Daily from 1977 to 1983, and was a standing member of the National People’s Congress as well as deputy director of the Education, Science, Culture and Health Committee from 1984 to 1989. Since he opposed the suppression of the June 4th event, he was dismissed as the standing member of the National People’s Congress and Deputy to the National People’s Congress, and was placed on probation within the Party for two years. He suffered under this suppression for more than 10 years.

Xin Fei, an Epoch Times reporter, called Hu Jiwei’s home in Beijing on Jan. 22. Hu Jiwei, 85, is hard of hearing, so his wife spoke on his behalf. She read the short letter Hu Jiwei wrote to the CCP after he learned Zhao Ziyang's death on Jan. 17. Afterwards the reporter interviewed Mr. Li Pu, Hu Jiwei's good friend and former vice-president of the Xinhua News Agency. Li Pu explained that Hu Jiwei had written an article with the title, “In Deepest Sympathy for Ziyang.” He said he would be unable to distribute the letter publicly in China due to the government's strict blockage of free speech and hoped the reporter would make it public.

The full text of Hu Jiwei's article reads as follows:

In Deepest Sympathy for Ziyang

Comrade Zhao Ziyang passed away without being cleared of the false charges against him. I am experiencing extreme sorrow over this. I learned the bad news at 8 a.m. on Jan. 17. I wrote a very simple statement at 10 p.m. that day. I copied this statement in my own handwriting with more than 100 (Chinese) characters here:

After being put under house arrest for over 15 years, Zhang Ziyang, former General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party and former Premier, passed away without being cleared of the false charges against him. This day marks a memorial day of the state when the world is in shock, the nation is in sorrow and the common people mourn. The great meritorious service of Ziyang leaves him with a good name for hundreds of generations and he will be crowned with eternal glory.

With the deepest grief in my heart, I request the CCP to hold a public and grand memorial ceremony for Ziyang and to restore Ziyang’s good reputation.

Hu Jiwei

**************
January 17, 2005

At 9 a.m. on Jan. 18, the staff from Cadre Bureau came to my residence and delivered four instructions of the government to me:

1. “Zhao Ziyang brought merit to both the Party and the country;”
2. “Zhao Ziyang was wrong in his actions in respect to the June 4th event;”
3. “The CCP is correct in the way they treated him.”
4. “Party members must be consistent by upholding the CCP’s opinion.”

The instructions came too late. My statement had already been sent out 22 hours ago.

Among the four instructions, I think the first point is right. Ziyang not only has merits, but more than this, he has illustrious merits.

The second point is wrong. Before the June 4th suppression, Zhao firmly opposed stifling the populace and proposed to “solve the problem by applying democratic solutions and by use of the legal system.” In order to support his solid opinion in opposing suppression by force, he announced his resignation. Deng Xiaoping deployed several hundred thousand national defense troops, announced military martial law in the capital, and suppressed the unarmed youth with tanks and machine guns. These actions were completely wrong.

Advocating “solving the problem by applying democratic solutions and by use of the legal system” is correct.

Zhao Ziyang was not wrong at that time, rather, Deng Xiaoping was wrong.

At that time, seven generals (Zhang Ai Ping, Xiao Ke, Ye Fei, Li Ju Kui, Yang Dezhi, Chen Zaidao and Song Shilun) also opposed suppression by force. They emphasized that the People’s Liberation Army’s guns should not be aimed at the people.

On March 15, 1957, when making a speech at the Nanjing cadre conference, Mao Zedong mentioned that we could not use suppression when dealing with “the populace causing trouble.” He said, “Some comrades’ hands are a little itchy and they want to use suppression. Actually, we have a set way of dealing with this kind of situation before. After learning a set method, you can work out your methods to deal with class struggle. Put simply, we can handle it according to military law, or just by using administrative orders without deploying forces. The CCP thought that it is not good to suppress whomever is offensive to the eye. Suppression cannot coerce people."

In January 1957, in the conference for Party secretaries of provinces, cities and the autonomous regions, Mao Zedong added, “Do not be afraid of making trouble. The more trouble, the better. Some troubles may work out positive results and clarify what’s right and wrong. No matter how many troubles there are, do not be afraid. The more fear you express, more troubles will arise. However, do not open fire. It is not good to open fire at any time.”

Here, Mao Zedong said, “It is not good to open fire at any time.” Obviously, it was wrong for Deng Xiaoping to issue an order to open fire. It is right for the seven generals to oppose opening fire. It was right for Zhao Ziyang to oppose opening fire on the protestors. How can you say that Zhao was wrong, instead?

The government said that the CCP was correct in Zhao’s treatment. But I think, that they were wrong. Zhao Ziayng had great merits and did no wrong. Why was he put under house arrest until death? Even if he were wrong, he should be treated according to the Party Chart. According to 39th article of the Chart, there are five kinds of discipline: warning, serious warning, dismissal of your post within the Party, probation within the Party and dismissal of party membership.”

The Chart has no stipulation to put a member under house arrest, not to mention “house arrest for an indefinite period.” Therefore, it is violating the Chart to put Zhao Ziyang under house arrest for 15 years until his death. How can you say that violating the Chart is correct?

According to law, anyone violating the law can only be tried or even sentenced by judiciary organs. Any other institution or association has no right to enact illegal punishment, not to mention illegal imprisonment. Therefore, it’s violating the law of the government to put Ziyang under house arrest. How can you say that is right?

Besides, after Comrade Hu Jingtao took power, he has been emphasizing over and over that we should rule the nation according to the Constitution. The basic principle of all sessions of the Chinese Constitution is defending the citizen’s basic human rights. The personal freedom of citizens cannot be encroached upon. Then, Zhao Ziyang used to be the General Secretary of the Party. Even his personal freedom cannot be guaranteed. Is that right? Is that ruling the nation according to the Constitution?

What is more, Ziyang was put under house arrest illegally for 15 years. Even when he was dying, he still could not obtain minimum personal freedom. Does this conform to the communist party’s minimum moral criterion? Could it be true that violating human rights, violating human nature and violating morality are correct?

Therefore, I think that it is wrong for the CCP to violate Mao Zedong’s guidance, the Party Chart, our current law, the Constitution and basic human values. Hence, this cannot force a party member to be consistent with such an errant ideology.