“I feel that everyone is very passionate.” Those were the first words blind Chinese activist Chen Guangcheng said publicly after landing in the US on Saturday. Chen spoke to the press and public at New York University, where he had been offered a position as a visiting scholar.
In his speech, Chen thanked the media and supporters in the US and China. He said that the US government had given him a great amount of assistance, mentioning that they had given him “partial citizenship rights.”
Chen also emphasized that the Chinese central government should guarantee his rights as a Chinese citizen and his personal freedom and safety, even though he had left the country. He also asked everyone to watch to make sure that this promise was carried out.
He closed with asking everyone to work with him to promote justice and fairness in China. Chen’s full speech at New York University is above.
Following is a full transcript* of Chen Guangcheng’s speech:
I feel everyone is very passionate. I will say a few simple words to everyone here.
After much turbulence, I finally walked out from Dongshigu Village in Shandong province. This required the help of many friends.
During the most critical time, the U.S. Embassy in China provided me with a safe haven, and a chance to get out of a risky period. The US government also gave me a lot of assistance, so that in the past 20-plus day I was able to have some of my citizenship rights.
I am very grateful to the US government and Embassy for their assistance, and I also hope that I can continue to get this assistance. Also, this agreement between China and the United States, as well as the Chinese central government’s promise of my citizenship rights, freedom and safety should not end just because I have left China. These should be long-term with no expiration date, so I hope everyone can continuously supervise the fulfillment of this promise.
During this time, there of course have been many other friends as well as Embassies of many countries including Switzerland, Canada, Sweden, France, the United Kingdom and the European Union who have phoned me to lend support, and I am also very grateful for this.
With regards to the Chinese government’s handling of this matter, I am very happy to see their restraint and calmness. I hope the central government will continue to liberate people’s minds, push for political reform, and protect social justice to gain more trust of the people.
As with others friends and the media who have offered me support over a long period of time, as well as Chinese netizens who tried to visit me in Dongshigu Village, Linyi City of Shandong province, and endured beatings, I really thank them from the depth of my heart. I am also aware of the support from ordinary U.S. citizens, and I really thank them.
We see that the retaliation against my family in Shandong continues. My nephew’s right to a lawyer is not protected. Luckily, the central government promised me, on more than one occasion, that they will thoroughly investigate the illegal acts of Shandong authorities. I hope everyone can supervise this investigation.
I trust in the promise given to me by the central government, it will not deceive me.
I think that I really want to tell everyone that regardless of what situation we’re in, no matter how trying it is, as long as we want to achieve something, and think of ways to do it, then it can be done. I don’t see anything as impossible, as long as we persist. It’s like how one Chinese saying goes, that there are no difficult tasks in the world, only people who do not have the heart for it.
So I feel we should put our hands together and put our efforts towards achieving justice in society, for all the compassion in society, and stop all injustices in society. I think ordinary citizens should shoulder this responsibility to society. The world’s leaders should have this mindset to gather the world’s strength to get rid of the world’s evil.
In seven years, I’ve not had a weekend’s rest. Now that I’m here, I hope to recuperate for what I haven’t been able to in the past seven years, both in body and spirit. I hope everyone can work with me and push for fairness and justice in China.
Thank you, Thank you.
*This transcript of Chen Guangcheng’s speech is a more direct translation of his words than those provided through the interpretor, which may have been subject to error given the live nature of the event.
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大家都来看”九评共产党” ( VCD, 书)!
Let’s find “Nine Commentaries on the Communist Party”(VCD, books)!
快上大纪元声明退出共产党和共产党其它组织(/团/队)，抹去邪恶的印记!
Quit the Evil Chinese Communist Party or its affiliated organizations today!
