Interviews with Fang Zheng

As a matter of fact, from my own personal experiences, I just want to tell everybody that no matter which country you are living in, in order to push the democracy and human rights movement forward, inevitably you are going to pay a price and make significant sacrifices. But don’t worry, this is inevitable.

I believe there are a lot of people who are conscious and, with full determination, are standing behind us and offering greater support to us. Despite lots difficulties, we have many supporters and especially a great country like the United States, which deserves the trust and reliance of the people.

Fang Zheng was a college student in Beijing in 1989 when he participated in the pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square. As the military moved to suppress the demonstrations on June 4, 1989, he was run over by a tank and both of his legs were crushed and had to be amputated.

Fang refused to sign a government-written statement that he had lost his legs in an ordinary road accident. He was denied a college degree. Once a champion runner, he now devoted himself to wheelchair athletics, breaking two Asian records at the 1992 All-China Disabled Athletic Games. However, the government refused to allow him to participate in international competitions or in further competition within China.

Fang spoke frequently to international news media about the human rights situation, and particularly about the government’s refusal to acknowledge what it had done at Tiananmen Square. He was repeatedly denied the right to travel overseas, but he was finally allowed to leave China in 2008 amid widespread interest in his case among international news media covering the Beijing Olympics.