ADRIENNE TANNER

Journal Staff Writer

Edmonton

Before the 1949 revolution, Wang Ruowang spent four years of his youth behind bars for his conviction that communism would be the salvation of China.

Now the 74-year-old writer and political activist spends his days fighting for democracy.

Ruowang's latest jail term was punishment for his support of the pro-democracy movement which culminated in June of 1989 with the Tiananmen Square massacre.

For 14 months no charges were laid and no trial held. Finally, mounting international pressure convinced the Chinese government to release Ruowang and a number of other well-known activists.

Others were not as lucky, said Ruowang, who this month was given permission to travel abroad.

Many political dissidents remain jailed, he said.

Ruowang's lifelong crime has been his inability to ignore injustice.

"During the 1989 student movement I wrote an open letter to Deng Xiaoping asking him to lay down the knife and not suppress the student movement," said Ruowang, speaking through an interpreter in the living room of an Edmonton pro-democracy supporter. Xiaoping is the head of China's Communist party.

The letter ran in a Taiwanese newspaper and news of the affront spread quickly to China.

“I did not agree with the communist label that labeled the student movement as a rebellious movement.”

Edmonton admirers of Ruowang's surrounded him as he spoke, clinging to every word. A slight, distinguished looking man, Ruowang paused only to sip a glass of tea.

The pro-democracy movement has quieted down since the government moves on protesters in Tiananmen Square.

But the movement for political change is not over, Ruowang said.

"There is no more open activity, but there is underground pro-democracy operations, especially in Shanghai," he said.

Public support for the government has hit rock bottom, said Ruowang, predicting the hard-line regime will some day end.

"By staging this massacre the Chinese government put itself opposite the people. The people now see the true face of the Communist party.”

"They see through the lies."

Ruowang said news of Canadian support for the pro-democracy movement filters back to China and helps buoy the spirits of the dissidents.

"I hope the western world will keep supporting the pro-democracy movement in China and care more about the situation in China -- especially human rights."

Ruowang says he won't return to China until his political advocacy work is done in North America.