On Monday, more than 10 China Democracy Party members from San Francisco and Reno drove to The Golden Dragon Restaurant in Rocklin to join the fundraising event sponsored by local Chinese for Fang Zheng, the June 4 victim who lost his two legs, crushed by a tank on June 4, 1989 at Tianamen Square.

China Democracy Party was founded by Wang Youcai, former student leader during the 1989 democratic movement, but subsequently the Chinese Government declared it an illegal party and arrested many CDP members. Some members-in-exile established branches of the party in other lands. Zheng Cunzhu, a former student leader in Anhui province in 1989, founded the West American branch of CDP in May 2006 in Los Angeles. Branches in San Francisco and Reno were founded respectively in Sept. 2008 and April 2009.

Members from the Reno branch of CDP already donated $2,500 to a released CDP founder in China who was in a bad economic condition. They also joined this event to show their love to help the June 4 victim.

Zheng, a student at Beijing Athlete University, was crushed by a tank and lost his two legs. He arrived in San Francisco, invited by CDP to receive a China Democracy Award and participate in the 20th anniversary of the June 4 movement as a living witness to discover the truth of the Tiananmen Massacre.

CDP planned to publish a monthly newspaper named “Voice of Democracy” to advocate democracy, freedom and human rights among overseas Chinese, trying to continue the spirit of democracy and get support from local Chinese here in the U.S.

“Democracy without voice can’t be heard,” said Jin Wei, an active member and local leader of CDP in Reno.

~ Staff Report