Chai Ling

Chai Ling (Chinese: 柴玲; pinyin: Chái Líng) (1966-) was one of the leaders in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Image File history File links Ling. ... Image File history File links Ling. ... Pinyin (Chinese: 拼音, pÄ«nyÄ«n) literally means join (together) sounds (a less literal translation being phoneticize, spell or transcription) in Chinese and usually refers to HànyÇ” PÄ«nyÄ«n (汉语拼音, literal meaning: Han language pinyin), which is a system of romanization (phonemic notation and transcription to Roman script) for Standard... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ... The Unknown Rebel — This famous photo, taken by Associated Press photographer Jeff Widener, depicts a lone protester whose actions halted the progress of a column of advancing tanks for over half an hour. ...

She graduated from Peking University with a degree in Psychology in 1987. She was a graduate student working on her Masters degree in Child Psychology during the student movement in 1989. Peking University 博学审问慎思明辨 Peking University or Beijing University (Simplified: 北京大学; Traditional: 北京大學; Hanyu Pinyin: ), colloquially known as Beida (北大, Běidà). Established in 1898, it is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in China. ...

She initiated and led the hunger strike during the protests, in Tiananmen Square. She was relentless and also paranoid that students from other provinces would usurp her. This was confirmed when one night in May, she and her husband at the time, Feng Congde, were gagged and almost kidnapped by other student protestors. A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest or to achieve a goal such as a policy change. ... Tiananmen Square (Simplified Chinese: 天安门广场; Traditional Chinese: 天安門廣場; pinyin: ) is the large plaza near the center of Beijing, China, named for the Tiananmen (literally, Gate of Heavenly Peace) which sits to its north, separating it from the Forbidden City. ...

The most controversial aspect of her role in the protests was her uncompromising stand. Regardless of cost, she would accept nothing less than the overthrow of the communist Chinese government. Her tactics centered on publicly shaming the communist Chinese government for its callous disregard for its people.

In an interview with American journalist Philip Cunningham done on May 28, 1989, she stated: "The students kept asking, 'What should we do next? What can we accomplish?' I feel so sad, because how can I tell them that what we are actually hoping for is bloodshed, for the moment when the government has no choice but to brazenly butcher us. Only when the Square is awash with blood will the people of China open their eyes. Only then will they really be united. But how can I explain this to my fellow students? And what is truly sad is that some students, and famous well-connected people, are working hard to help the government, to prevent it from taking such measures. For the sake of their selfish interests and their private dealings they are trying to cause our movement to collapse and get us out of the Square before the government becomes so desperate that it takes action."

She was on the wanted list by the Chinese government. She fled from China in April 1990. After 10 months of exile, she settled in Paris, France. She later received an honorary Masters degree from Princeton University. After this, she served as a consultant at Bain & Co. during 1993-1996. The Eiffel Tower has become a symbol of Paris throughout the world. ... Princeton University, located in Princeton, New Jersey, is the fifth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. ...

Then she moved to Boston where she studied Business Administration at Harvard University. She now runs a software company with her current husband, Robert A. Maginn Jr., who has been the vice president and partner of the prestigious consultancy, Bain & co. Nickname: City on a Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Solar System), Athens of America Motto: {{{motto}}} Official website: www. ... Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA and a member of the Ivy League. ...

They now co-run the software company Jenzabar, which means "the best of the class". Ironically, Ling and Maginn Jr. were sued by five former executives and Harvard Business Schoolfor "a number of illegal actions."

"Today, I am living the American dream," Chai told Parade magazine in June of 2003. Of course, that is after she still claims to be a 1989 heroine without doing any 'pro-democracy in China' action once she fled her homeland. She claimed in her interview with Philip Cunningham that she was ready to be the first student to die for her cause, but now she has changed that cause into succeeding in the corporate world.

She repeatedly declined an interview for the documentary film on the 1989 student demonstrations, "Gate of Heavenly Peace," released in 1995.

Weblinks

Articles concerning Chai Ling on the website of the documentary "Gate of Heavenly Peace" by Carma Hinton and

• Steve Bailey: American Dream (The Boston Globe; August 8th, 2003)
• Daniel Lyons: Great story, bad business (Forbes; February 17th, 2003)
• Ye Ren: The Democracy Movement in Exile is Trapped by Communist Mentality - The Way out for the Overseas Democracy Movement (translation of two articles originally published in Chinese in July and August 1995 in the Hong Kong Magazine The Nineties)
• Patrick E. Tyler: 6 Years After the Tiananmen Massacre, Survivors Clash Anew on Tactics (New York Times; April 30th, 1995)
• James Bandler: Harvard Wars with Firm over Web Site Politics underlies spat on school ties (The Boston Globe, July 25th, 1999)