New Democracy Party of China

Political party in China

Politics of China
Political parties
Elections

The New Democracy Party of China (NDPC; simplified Chinese: 中国新民党; traditional Chinese: 中國新民黨; pinyin: Zhōngguó Xinmíndǎng) is a political party that started in the People's Republic of China, and is banned by the Chinese government.^[1] It was established by Mr. Guo Quan, a professor at Nanjing Normal University in 2007 after he published an open letter to the leaders of China. The second acting chairman is Mr. Cunzhu Zheng, who was also a student leader in Anhui Province in 1989's Tiananmen Square Protests.

About Guo Quan

New Democracy Party of China was founded by Guo Quan, a former associate professor at Nanjing Normal University and the acting chairman of the newly established New Democracy Party of China, was arrested by police near his Nanjing home. "He tried to set up an opposition party, they accused him of 'subversion of state power,' "Mr. Guo's wife said. "They told me that he had been formally arrested, but they didn't give me any details," Li said. "They gave a bunch of documents to his mother."^[2]

Nanjing Police Department agents sent Mr. Guo's mother a letter denying her request to hire a lawyer because her son’s case involved "state secrets." She says, "(They) arrested my son and forbade us to visit him and hire a lawyer. Does that mean they are going to try him secretly? I am upset! My son was arrested for being a human rights activist; now who is going to protect his human rights? I love my son, so I hired a lawyer, but the regime would not let the lawyer accept the case. How could his only act, writing an open letter to Hu Jintao, be deemed subversion?” The authorities denied Guo's family attorney's request to visit him.^[3]

Mr. Guo's defense attorney Guo Lianhui commented that Guo made his differing political views public, and the authorities mobilized the state machinery to suppress him. "My client published a series of articles called 'Democratic Voice' and pointed out that there is no democracy and observance of human rights in China." attorney Guo Lianhui added.^[4]

Mr. Guo founded New Democracy Party of China to represent anyone petitioning the government and the ruling Communist Party for social justice in land disputes, forced evictions, and allegations of official wrongdoing. He wrote 347 articles and offered constructive suggestions to the Chinese Communist Party. However, Mr. Guo was fired from Nanjing Normal University for allegedly violating its constitution and rules on the conduct of faculty. Then, Mr. Guo was expelled from the Communist-approved token opposition group Democratic Parties and Factions.

On October 15, 2009, Mr. Guo was sentenced to serve ten years in prison.

Present

After the party founder Mr. Guo Quan was arrested on November 13, 2008, Mr. Cunzhu Zheng was selected by other party members in China to be the second acting chairman of the Party. The website of the party was created in January 2009 and there are about 10 Chinese political dissidents and democratic supporters in Los Angeles and San Francisco applied to be the member of the party and the headquarters of the party moved to the USA after Mr. Guo Quan was arrested.

References

^ Gittings, John. The Changing Face of China: From Mao to Market. (2005). Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-280612-2
^ Edmonds, Richard Louis. (2000). The People's Republic of China After 50 Years. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-924065-5
^ The Epoch Times - China Democracy Party Founder’s Mother Talks About His Arrest - 15 December 2008
^ Radio Free Asia - Blogger Charged with Subversion - 22 December 2008