Daring to Say “No”

[Editor's note: Under generations of dictatorship in China, Chinese people have formed many notions and deeply rooted ways of thinking which prevent them from understanding why practitioners dare to uphold their beleifs and why they dare to criticise the persecution. They are restrained by thoughts that it is wrong to question the dictatorship, by an inability to see faults with the regime. For example, they feel that it is not right for practitioners to expose the evil persecution, saying that "the child should not criticise the father". This article, originally in Chinese, was not written to make a political or social comment, but to help Chinese people to understand why it is right to question the persecution of Falun Gong and why it is right for Falun Gong practitioners to stand up for themselves.]

During the “Great Cultural Revolution” in China there was a famous case of injustice involving the Chairman of the People's Republic of China, Liu Shao-Ji, who was accused of being a traitor. After the announcer had finished reading the Investigation Report which accused him of being "a renegade, a hidden traitor, and a blackleg”, it was time to vote on his guilt by a show of hands. Arms were raised in an orderly manner and in sequence. At this very moment, one person, Chen Shao-Min lay prone on the table with his right hand covering his left chest, a special way to show his protest. With a long face, Kang Sheng later asked Liu Shao-Min, “Why didn’t you raise your hand?” Chen Shao-Min replied, “This is my right.” Saying “No” is a personal right and it takes courage to say “No”” Hu Yao-Bang said more than once, “On this issue, we all made a mistake in raising our hands. It’s only Chen Shao-Min who didn’t make a mistake in raising his hand.”

Why, though, have there existed so few groups in China with the courage to say “No”?

In an autocratic society, there exists no freedom of speech but just one voice. Despite their viewpoints on national affairs, common citizens cannot make suggestion to their leaders, and cannot even think openly or publish what they wish. If the common people are to have some ideas, and they are unable to restrain their inner feelings through their efforts, all that they can do is to reflect this to their leaders. At the same time, they have to be absolute loyal to their leaders and believe in their organisations one hundred per cent. Or, they will offend government officials and their opinions will be taken as insolent defiance.

Entering the 20th century, the power of dictatorships destroying the independence of moral integrity has appears in the form of Collectivism and Communism; and it has become a modern combination of traditional dictatorship with Fascist ideals, leading to a massive decline in moral integrity.

Not daring to say “No” means that one has become like a puppet. Having the courage to say no is a must for a person with independent moral integrity. It is not such a cause for concern if there are only one or few who dare not to say “No”. What is worrying is when the majority or the entire era all becomes unquestioningly subservient. Once the environment allows, such a crowd of people could become so submissive that they attach their moral integrity, dignity, or even everything to others, allowing others to represent themselves, following others in everything, and becoming part of the fuel used to fire a dictatorship.

Those people and those groups who dare not say “No” are irrational. It is terrible when a society or a whole body does not have the courage to say “No”. Such people are very likely to become puppets in the hands of gangs of political hooligans once the environment allows. And once those puppets hold authority, they become one of the puppet-masters.

Those political hooligans, talking black into white, and those who dare not say “No” are the same as twin brothers. Their two opposite ways of thinking co-exist in the brains of the people in our country. When alone, they adopt the manner of the dictatorship, talking black into white and yet what they say represents everything. When facing a VIP who talks black into white, they dare not say “No”, and are represented by others.

Today when saying “No” becomes a personal right, we still blindly follow those who rape the public and let them trample upon our destiny. And we however all let it pass us by and decide by vote as usual. It’s the biggest problem of our era that we do not protect our right to say “No”. Such anti-modern behaviour nowadays is sufficient to make the whole civilised world feel deeply ashamed.

It’s because their citizens dare not to say no that the rulers of the autocracy dare to talk and act as they do. The democracy and independence of India exists because they fought through non-violence and non-cooperation. Despite the fact that the current dictatorship is not as merciful as that of the British empire and that we cannot change the history of it’s dictatorship, isn’t it ok for us to say no to those who confuse right and wrong? I think we can surely make it in doing so.

Chinese version available at http://www.yuanmingeurope.net/articles/200303/18436.html