NEW YORK–New Tang Dynasty Television (NTDTV) announced on August 2 that it would host the first International Chinese Vocal Competition in New York in October. During an NTDTV talk show on August 3, an elderly Chinese-American gentleman called in and pledged $1000 to sponsor the event.
The caller introduced himself as Mr. He Tiankai introduced himself, an 87-year-old Chinese American living in Manhattan.
Mr. He watched Mr. Guan Guimin, a renowned Chinese singer and chairman of the judges' committee, address the talk show audience. "I could definitely relate to what Guan said, that Chinese people do not work together for a common goal. That's why I decided to sponsor the vocal competition," said He.
"My given name was not He Tiankai," He added. "I always wondered when the heaven will be open for us common people, so I changed my name to Tiankai, which means heaven's gate in Chinese. My English name is Hope. I am waiting for a new hope.
"I don't have the power to unite the Chinese people. NTDTV is hosting a Chinese vocal competition to unite the Chinese people around the world. I support your cause, so I want to make a donation to support you. If you can unite the Chinese people, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will collapse and democracy will reign in China.
"I receive a monthly pension of $730. My monthly living expenses, including rent, utilities, food, clothes and transportation, are about $400. I save about $330 every month, but I don't have much in savings because I make a lot of donations. This time I decided to donate $1,000 to NTDTV, but I will have to split up the payments. I receive my pension on the third of every month. I will send my donation on the third."
A Tale of Hardship and Horror
Mr. He then told his story:
"I came from China. In those three years of famine during the Great Leap Forward (1958–1963), which the CCP attributes to the nonexistent 'natural disaster', the starving Chinese people licked the bottom of their food bowls like dogs. My grandmother died of malnutrition during the famine. [ Editor's Note: During the "Great Leap Forward," tens of millions of Chinese starved to death as the CCP forced farmers to abandon their fields and work in steel mills. ]
"During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), the CCP ransacked my home and found a movie magazine, containing an article written by Jiang Qing, and her photos.
"Because of the movie magazine, I was arrested and sent to a detention center. I was deprived of sleep throughout the entire night while they turned a desk light towards my face. They interrogated me and kept me in the detention center for 'self-examination.' Soon six months had passed.
"There were young and old people incarcerated at the detention center. I heard that a famous leader of a band from Shanghai named Luo Hong'en was also detained there. He was angry about his imprisonment and started to curse Mao Zedong. He was executed.
"January 22, 1972 marked the one-year anniversary of my incarceration. I was forbidden to see my family during the entire time of my imprisonment. I had a wife and four children. My mother lived with my family. I was bored to tears. I asked to talk to the warden. A week later, they asked me to answer a few questions. I told them, 'I had only old books and magazines. Those writers may have written bad articles, but I am not the author. I just read the magazine. If there is something wrong with me reading the article, aren't those authors more in the wrong?' Then they accused me of being ideologically rebellious and sentenced me to five years in prison.
"Mao Zedong died on September 9, 1976. Following the death of Mao, the Gang of Four (a group of CCP leaders in the People's Republic of China) were arrested and removed from their positions. They were blamed for the events of the Cultural Revolution. On January 21, 1977, I had completed my five-year prison term. However, I still faced 'the second reform by hard labor.' That means I had to work involuntarily in a factory for the monthly wage of only 20 yuan. Later I met a few good people. With their help, the charges against me were eventually dropped.
He Sees That the CCP Is Destroying China
"At first, I blamed all the bad things that have happened in China under the rule of the CCP on Mao, but the June 4 Tiananmen Massacre helped me to better understand the evil nature of the CCP. I saw in CNN's footage how the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) tanks had run over and killed innocent students. The CCP lied and claimed that no one had died.
"Many Chinese people have fallen prey to the CCP's lies. The CCP has done too many bad things. The CCP is a demon and must not be allowed to exist in this world. A Chinese writer Sha Yexin was most perceptive when he said, 'Nowadays everything in China is fake, only the liars are real.'
"I read every day. I was touched by words of wisdom in Mr. Chen Pokong's book titled, One Hundred Common Sense Ideas about China. He said, 'Repel the fog of the totalitarian regime. Have the sunlight of Truth shine upon the souls enslaved by lies.'"
"Hu Ping (a famous Chinese human rights activist) once said, 'Once more and more people have the courage to use their reason and rationality, the death of the CCP will be near.'
"NTDTV and The Epoch Times are completely altruistic. You are working for the Chinese people. The CCP may be laughing now, but we shall see who has the last laugh."
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