SUU Remembers: 20 Years After the Tiananmen Square Massacre

Published: September 17, 2009 | Read Time: 2 minutes

Southern Utah University’s Convocation Lecture Series is pleased to announce that Harvard University Fellow and Chinese dissident Dr. Jiamli Yang is coming to campus to deliver an address titled “The Movement for Democracy in China Twenty Years after the Tiananmen Square Massacre.” His presentation will be Tuesday, September 22 at 11:30 a.m. in the SUU Auditorium. It is free and open to the public. 

This year marks the 20th Anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 that captured the attention of the entire world and culminated in a brutal and deadly crackdown by the Chinese government. This tragedy is now known across much of the globe as the “Tiananmen Square Massacre.” 

Dr. Yang was protesting in Tiananmen Square when the now infamous massacre took place. His involvement in the cause put him on a list of 48 protest leaders banned from China by the Chinese government. Dr. Yang used a friend's passport in 2002 to reenter China to report on unfolding labor unrest. He was detained and held by Chinese authorities without communication for almost a year. Yang was tried on unreasonable charges and by the time he was given a five-year sentence, he had already been held for two years. Dr. Yang was tortured and not allowed to go outside for several long stretches. After his release, he was still denied a passport and other documents needed to return to the United States to his family for four months. 

As President of the Foundation for China in the 21st Century and Founder of the Independent Federation of Chinese Students and Scholars, Dr. Yang is at the forefront of the Chinese Democracy Movement. He has testified on several occasions before the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives on the Human Rights situation in China. In addition, he is editor-in-chief of the China in the 21st Century series. 

Dr. Yang received his BA and MA from Chinese universities in mathematics and statistics, respectively. He went on to get his Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of California, Berkley, and received a second Ph.D. from Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. He was the recipient of the "Outstanding Chinese Student in America" award in 1990 and has taught at the University of California, Berkley, University of the Pacific, as well as at the University of California at Santa Cruz. 

Frequently consulted by national media for his views, Dr. Yang has also spoken to audiences around the world concerning democracy in China, including engagements at Harvard University, Soochow University (Taiwan), and Yale University.

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