[Epoch Times, May 10, 2022](Epoch Times reporter Wu Minzhou, Taiwan Taipei reported) NGO worker Li Mingzhe was sentenced to five years in prison by the CCP for “subversion of state power” and returned to Taiwan. He made his first public appearance on the 10th. Li Mingzhe said that the CCP once wanted to charge him with espionage so that they could conduct political operations, but he insisted not to admit it, because it would implicate the entire Taiwanese government. “I can’t betray” Taiwan and do not accept Taiwan being suppressed.
Li Mingzhe was detained in China on March 19, 2017, and 10 days later the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Communist Party of China confirmed that he had been detained for investigation “on suspicion of engaging in activities endangering national security.” In November of the same year, Li Mingzhe was sentenced to five years in prison for “inciting subversion of state power”.
After 5 years of detention, Li Mingzhe returned to Taiwan on April 15, and held a press conference on his return to Taiwan at the Legislative Yuan on April 10. This was also the first public appearance of Li Mingzhe after returning to Taiwan. Li Mingzhe expressed his deep gratitude to the people from both inside and outside of Taiwan who have come to rescue in the past five years.
Li Mingzhe, who was born in a family from other provinces, his parents were born in China, and his wife, Li Jingyu, is the only Taiwanese from the province in his family. The education he received since he was a child was typical of China’s thinking, until he entered high school, he was also from other provinces. His history teacher taught, “To learn history, we must first learn the history of our hometown. We can’t be a person who only knows the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, but doesn’t know where our hometown came from.”
Under the conflict between “local consciousness” and “Great China Thought”, Li Mingzhe wanted to learn about the historical events that occurred in Taiwan in the past, such as the White Terror, February 28, martial law, the Beautiful Island Incident, the Lin House Massacre, and the Jiangnan Murder Case. He also learned from it that behind the history were the blood, tears and sacrifices of the Taiwanese people at that time, and the values of democracy and human rights represented behind these events were also the inspiration for his future work on human rights in China.
Li Mingzhe said that in the face of the CCP’s increasing suppression of Taiwan, he also began to try to understand the current situation in China and began to come into contact with China’s human rights issues. He believes that Taiwan’s democracy, freedom and human rights are so precious, and they were won by many predecessors who paid a painful price for this land. The status quo of Taiwan’s freedom has made him more aware of the CCP’s dictatorship, and then feel for China’s political victims. grief.
China’s democratization can only succeed if it is done by the Chinese
However, Li Mingzhe emphasized that he is very clear that he is not a Chinese, and he cannot “subvert” the CCP regime, nor can he make substantial contributions to China’s human rights and political reforms. Moreover, historical experience has proved that only local people can participate in order to produce real reforms. .
He said that how to democratize and human rights in China is the responsibility and obligation of the Chinese people. As a Taiwanese, there are only two ways he can help. The first is to help the lives of isolated and helpless Chinese political prisoners and their families, so he takes over a Chinese justice fund; The Chinese share the history of Taiwanese people’s blood and tears in their pursuit of democracy and human rights.
He stressed that he did so based on his belief in human rights and his humanitarian drive. He believes that these actions do not go beyond the limits that must be observed as a Taiwanese, nor do they violate Taiwan’s sovereignty and democratic values. All he can do is swipe his credit card to buy books, daily necessities or make small donations to the families of political prisoners.
Li Mingzhe revealed that when he was interrogated, the CCP kept asking who was the financial master behind him? In fact, his biggest donor is his wife. His credit card and his wife’s savings are all used to buy books for Chinese friends or donate regularly to political prisoners and their families in China, and regularly visit friends who are suffering in China.
He emphasized that his actions are normal in a democratic society, and he is convinced that this has nothing to do with subverting the CCP regime, nor is it an act of interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. The human rights and humanitarian work he does are only trivial matters. It’s just such a simple humanitarian concern, but I didn’t expect it to be regarded by the CCP as an act of subverting the government. “This is the essence of a dictatorship.”
Entering China in 2017 to face spy-style interrogation
Li Mingzhe said that on March 19, 2017, he went to China to visit friends. When he entered Zhuhai via Macau, he was immediately surrounded by a group of people, and then he was escorted by wearing a hood. During the interrogation, the matter of assisting human rights in China in the past was brought out. After questioning them one by one, it is obvious that the evidence search has already been completed, and relevant statements on the Internet, including QQ and Facebook, are regarded as criminal evidence. This kind of spy’s isolation and interrogation let him know that doom is inevitable.
He said that based on his knowledge of the CCP, he knew that various reasons might be fabricated to convict him. In order to be able to go home, he had to cooperate with the CCP’s interrogation and complete the transcript and confession of subverting the government according to their requirements. But he knew in his heart that the testimony was meaningless because the trial itself was illegal.
Li Mingzhe also revealed that when he was imprisoned for more than ten days, he found that Guangzhou Guoan’s attitude had changed. He began to ask him if he knew people from Taiwan NGO groups, and asked him to admit to accepting funding from official units. He also repeatedly hinted that the two sides of the strait had “exchanged spies” in the past. “, intending to detain him for “espionage” for their political operations.
He emphasized that he insisted not to admit “espionage”, but to admit the ridiculous “subversion of state power”. Because the “crime of subversion of state power” is his personal matter, and the “crime of espionage” will implicate the entire Taiwan government, “I cannot betray” Taiwan.
When talking about court trials, the reason why Li Mingzhe refused to hire a lawyer said that everyone knows that Chinese laws are not used to protect the rights and interests of the people, but are used to make the people unconditionally obey the dictatorship. The so-called “open trial” is a It was a fascist theater, so he made it clear that he did not need to hire a lawyer, but the Changsha State Security Bureau forced him to agree to accept the official obligation to assist a lawyer on the grounds that his most serious crime could be “life imprisonment”.
Li Mingzhe said that in order to confuse the world and make everyone think that the CCP is “administering according to the law”, he is not allowed to make any defense in this arranged court drama, and is only allowed to read a confession that they have reviewed in advance. All others are represented by so-called “official lawyers”.
However, Li Mingzhe stressed that he was only sentenced to five years in prison because his wife has always taken active Taiwan and international rescue operations.
Faced with sweaty labor while being held in prison
Li Mingzhe also revealed the situation in China’s Chishan Prison in the past few years, saying that the situation of “forced labor” in Chinese prisons is serious.
“Chishan Prison is not so much a prison as it is a large factory.” He said that Article 71 of the Chinese Prison Law stipulates that the prison should work for 8 hours in accordance with Chinese labor regulations, which can be extended by 1 hour. However, when he was in Chishan Prison, he actually worked Up to 11 to 12 hours, going out at 6 am every day and working until 6 or 7 pm.
Li Mingzhe makes shoes, handbags and backpacks with other prisoners in Chishan Prison every day. Although it is stated that one day a week is an “education day” and one day is a rest day, in fact, except for the four days off during the New Year, there is no other day. Rest is a sweatshop for slaves.
He also revealed that Chishan Prison “forged attendance records” in order to comply with regulations. He protested with the prison many times and met with his wife to expose the issue of the CCP’s prison administration to the sun. After his wife reported the situation, the prisoners in Li Mingzhe’s prison area had one more day to rest. Originally, they could only take cold showers at minus 5 degrees in winter.
The blue and green CCP don’t even care about international perceptions
Li Mingzhe said that these changes are due to his wife and international rescue, which are also worthy of reference for relevant rescue workers in the future. Because in the eyes of the CCP, “Taiwan will not take it seriously regardless of whether it is a blue-green government. It only cares about international perceptions and international reactions.”
Li Mingzhe emphasized that the real rescue operation has always been high-profile rescue. Only high-profile rescue will make the CCP feel afraid and truly protect your family members who are suffering in China. Arranged.
When Li Mingzhe’s wife Li Jingyu spoke, in addition to expressing her gratitude to all those who cared, she also thanked the former DPP chairman Shi Mingde and his wife for always providing her with advice.
Li Jingyu said that on the third day after Li Mingzhe’s accident, Shi Mingde told her that there were two ways to go. One is to do nothing, make a full compromise, and humbly and privately exchange terms with the CCP, expecting them to release Li Mingzhe; the other is to adhere to principles and use dignity The way to openly fight against the CCP and preserve Li Mingzhe’s reputation, “but there must be a price to pay.”
Li Jingyu reveals five principles for rescue
She also announced to the outside world that Shi Mingde set five principles for the rescue of Li Mingzhe:
1. You cannot bow your head to the persecutor and beg for mercy. Because this will only satisfy its arrogance, it will not help rescue, and the sequelae will be endless.
2. Despise legal relief and attach importance to political relief. Under a dictatorship, the law is just a plaything, don’t hire a lawyer and don’t take part in illegal so-called “trials”. Fantasies of legalizing the law will only allow persecutors to legalize their crimes with “laws”.
3. Never betray Taiwan and never cater to the CCP’s position. We cannot try to please the CCP and say any words or deeds that harm Taiwan’s sovereignty. If you betray the country, even the people of the country will not sympathize.
4. Safeguard the dignity and honor of the victims. Where the honor is, there is the victim. The victims must be motivated to fight, help them restore their honor, and become the energy in their hearts.
5. The more open the rescue operation is, the safer the victims will be. Oppressors only dare to abuse privately, not publicly. The more public the rescue, the more secure the victims will be.
Li Jingyu said that she believed that these principles were an important reason why Li Mingzhe was able to go home, and hoped that it would be helpful to others who encountered the same predicament.
Responsible editor: Lu Meiqi#