Zhou Enlai, who died in January 1976, was a leader highly respected by people.
He had confrontation with the Gang of Four, and the Chinese Government did not relish the intense hype and sentiment in the public caused by his death.
The government's effort to dilute the public mourning activity triggered the event of April 5, 1976.
About two and a half years later, the Chinese Government's declaration that the April 5 Demonstration was counter-revolutionary set off the Democracy Wall Movement.
Former party officials, Red Guards and workers took an active part in these movements.
They printed pamphlets, published underground magazines, set up social networks and organized periodical joint conferences in which they discussed political and economic issues.
They strongly supported the cause of human rights and were antagonistic to the Marxist-Leninist school of thought which vested all the power in a few.
Ironically, the reforms proposed by them were still within the Marxist-Leninist framework because that was the only ideological platform they were familiar with.
Only a few like Wei Jingsheng advocated that Leninist methods be completely done away with.
Deng Xiaoping initially supported the Democracy Wall Movement, as a part of his strategy to capture power.
Once the Maoists became weak, he began suppressing the movement.
It is akin to Mao's tactic to woo the intellectuals and consolidate his position in the name of Hundred Flowers Campaign which pretended to encourage healthy criticism.
Nevertheless, Mao seems to carry some conviction at least in the early stage of the campaign, whereas Deng's support to the people's movement was always with the motive to take his personal agenda forward.
The 1978 Constitution guaranteed, apart from the right to strike, the so called 'big rights': the right to speak freely, to air views, to hold debates and to write big-character posters.
By 1982, all these were abolished.
The 1982 document dealt exhaustively with citizens' rights and obligations, the emphasis being on the latter.
These moves were intended to exercise control on popular dissident movements.
Only a year before that, there were nationwide agitations demanding the formation of autonomous trade unions.
It is likely that these agitations were inspired by the Solidarity Movement in China.
Moreover, 1982 Constitution began to dispense with the 'class struggle' orthodoxy and opened doors for private economic activity, market regulation, foreign participation and liberalization.
However, the core Leninist traits still manifested in the idea of 'democratic centralism' by which a decision cannot be opposed once it wins the majority vote.
This is in complete contradiction with the Western notion of democracy, which allows criticism of a decision even if it is endorsed by the majority.
Zhao Ziyang, the third Premiere of the People's Republic of China, was placed in house arrest for the rest of his life because for his soft approach towards the Tiananmen demonstrators.
Wei Jingsheng's idea of democracy is capture of power by the laboring masses through the system of elections; this alone gives them the opportunity to get what is their due.
Other intellectuals who influenced the movement for democracy were Bei Dao, Mang Ke, Gu Cheng, Duo Duo and Shu Ting.
They condemned the leaders' use of terror for their own political purposes and demanded reforms in the political system.
All said and done, it has to be acknowledged that China made rapid economic progress during the tenure of Deng Xiaoping.
In spite of it, that the movement for democracy persisted is a testimony to the fact that nothing can satiate the human spirit in the absence of freedom.
He had confrontation with the Gang of Four, and the Chinese Government did not relish the intense hype and sentiment in the public caused by his death.
The government's effort to dilute the public mourning activity triggered the event of April 5, 1976.
About two and a half years later, the Chinese Government's declaration that the April 5 Demonstration was counter-revolutionary set off the Democracy Wall Movement.
Former party officials, Red Guards and workers took an active part in these movements.
They printed pamphlets, published underground magazines, set up social networks and organized periodical joint conferences in which they discussed political and economic issues.
They strongly supported the cause of human rights and were antagonistic to the Marxist-Leninist school of thought which vested all the power in a few.
Ironically, the reforms proposed by them were still within the Marxist-Leninist framework because that was the only ideological platform they were familiar with.
Only a few like Wei Jingsheng advocated that Leninist methods be completely done away with.
Deng Xiaoping initially supported the Democracy Wall Movement, as a part of his strategy to capture power.
Once the Maoists became weak, he began suppressing the movement.
It is akin to Mao's tactic to woo the intellectuals and consolidate his position in the name of Hundred Flowers Campaign which pretended to encourage healthy criticism.
Nevertheless, Mao seems to carry some conviction at least in the early stage of the campaign, whereas Deng's support to the people's movement was always with the motive to take his personal agenda forward.
The 1978 Constitution guaranteed, apart from the right to strike, the so called 'big rights': the right to speak freely, to air views, to hold debates and to write big-character posters.
By 1982, all these were abolished.
The 1982 document dealt exhaustively with citizens' rights and obligations, the emphasis being on the latter.
These moves were intended to exercise control on popular dissident movements.
Only a year before that, there were nationwide agitations demanding the formation of autonomous trade unions.
It is likely that these agitations were inspired by the Solidarity Movement in China.
Moreover, 1982 Constitution began to dispense with the 'class struggle' orthodoxy and opened doors for private economic activity, market regulation, foreign participation and liberalization.
However, the core Leninist traits still manifested in the idea of 'democratic centralism' by which a decision cannot be opposed once it wins the majority vote.
This is in complete contradiction with the Western notion of democracy, which allows criticism of a decision even if it is endorsed by the majority.
Zhao Ziyang, the third Premiere of the People's Republic of China, was placed in house arrest for the rest of his life because for his soft approach towards the Tiananmen demonstrators.
Wei Jingsheng's idea of democracy is capture of power by the laboring masses through the system of elections; this alone gives them the opportunity to get what is their due.
Other intellectuals who influenced the movement for democracy were Bei Dao, Mang Ke, Gu Cheng, Duo Duo and Shu Ting.
They condemned the leaders' use of terror for their own political purposes and demanded reforms in the political system.
All said and done, it has to be acknowledged that China made rapid economic progress during the tenure of Deng Xiaoping.
In spite of it, that the movement for democracy persisted is a testimony to the fact that nothing can satiate the human spirit in the absence of freedom.
Source...