By Han Yuting (韩雨亭)
Nation, page 12 
Issue No. 546, Nov 26, 2011
Translated by Song Chunling
Original Article: [Chinese]

Picture source: AP

Wang Liping (王立平), an associate professor at the communist party school in Fujian, arrives early in the classroom to prepare for his lesson for local officials from departments such as the Communist Party Youth League and Family Planning Bureau.

 
“In my classes, I follow the principle that mistakes are allowed but lies aren’t. I respect your free speech and I welcome suggestions and advice. I believe China’s problems can be solved through tolerant and reasoned discussion,” Wang says in his opening remarks. “The basis of a discussion is respect for everyone’s right to free speech.”

 
Wang has researched the rise of civil rights in the three decades since China’s reform and opening up began, and, by avoiding clichés and addressing contemporary issues, he has won a popular following for his lectures.

 
The topic of his lesson today is bold - maintaining stability (维稳) and defending civil rights (维权) - and he has been awarded a prize for previous lectures on the subject.

 
“China is going through a period of transformation marked by two main characteristics: deeper social conflicts and a greater sense of civil rights.

In order to bring China through the transformation peacefully government must focus on the maintenance of stability and the defense of civil rights.”

 
Most of the students in Wang's lecture are young party officials who are familiar with the tension between maintaining stability and defending civil rights. “These two aspects involve groups of different interests and are really complicated. Few people, especially leaders, are prepared to discuss them. Unless we address this kind of topic at the party school, how can we discuss it in public?” says one student.

 
Wang also encourages his students to reflect on citizens’ property rights. “Only when a citizen has independent property rights can he have an independent personality. Unless personal and property rights are guaranteed, lives and properties can be taken away easily, and what other rights can we expect?”

Wang also praises the bravery of those homeowners – the occupants of so-called “nail houses” (钉子户) - who refuse to leave their properties after developers have driven out their neighbors. “Most of the mass incidents (群体性事件) [instances of civil unrest] are caused by the lack of restrictions on governments’ powers,” says Wang.

 
Wang’s pupils also discuss their experience trying to maintain stability in different administrations. “The town government spends tens of thousands of yuan on petitions each year”, says an official who works in the local government. “In villages now, maintaining stability is as important as family planning.”

 
“The situation will go on like this unless we change the methods of maintaining stability,” says another cadre. He agrees with Wang and says that “only when the civil rights are protected can we maintain the nation’s stability.”

 
Since most of the students at the school are adults, Wang says that it’s hard to change their attitudes quickly in a lecture. He often encourages them to “put themselves in other people’s positions.”

For example, he shows them photographs of three women, Wu Ping (吴苹), Pan Rong (潘蓉) and Tang Fuzhen (唐福珍), who tried to protect their houses from demolition. “Women are generally in a weak position, but they have shown themselves to be strong when trying to defend their property rights.” Wang later shows his class two pictures of a Hubei judge who went to register a complaint, or petition, after his wife and the wife of another local legal official were beaten by policemen dressed in plain clothes.

 
“In a country where the constitution and law can’t protect all citizens equally, everyone can become weak and beyond protection (even by the law) when conflicts arise,” Wang remarks, adding “Can you be sure that someday you won’t be the one trying to defend your civil rights?”

 
“If China continues the forced demolitions, people will be pushed to defend themselves with violence.” This prediction from Wang, prompts the deputy director of a local police station to respond, “many things are just exaggerated by the media -it’s impossible that society will become violent.” But a Fujian party committee boss disagrees, “some officials are still so careless when social conflicts flare up.”

 
"Eventually we’ll overcome the problem of maintaining stability and defending civil rights,” Wang concludes.

 
Links
China.org.cn Inside the Central Party School
Al Jazeera (Video) Inside a Communist Party School