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Archive File
In terms of background, this page substantially represents the final part of the website as it appeared in the third week of August 2003. At this point, Sun and his brothers were awaiting trial. The website of Dawu Group was shut down by authorities. The company funds were seized and assets frozen. Basically, Dawu Group could not operate.
I returned to Beijing. It was there I began to write the text of my website; although it would be registered abroad. I would tell the world about SUN Dawu and his model village at Langwuzhuang, Hebei. SUN Dawu spoke up for what he deemed to be right, stood against what he was taught to be wrong and supported what he thought ought to be done.
It was brought to my attention that SUN Meng wanted to hire a lawyer on behalf of his father. I tried to secure a lawyer for SUN while I stayed in Beijing, but no one was willing to take the case because of its nature. I was even photographed by an unknown person while I talked to a lawyer and former judge at an outdoor restaurant.
It seems that I had become a person of interest. I was followed by a man in a taxi who wanted to take the same bus for which I waited. There was a man stationed permanently on my balcony for a period of two weeks. I played loud music for his benefit. He may still hear "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" in his mind since it was played hundreds of times. I also played it loud enough that the whole compound could hear the music and realize that things were not what they appeared to be. A camera's long distance lens poked through the curtain of a window about 50 meters away. Finally, in my apartment, I discovered a Chinese national who was known to me. He was writing down the addresses and phone numbers of my mobile phone. I seized the paper and my phone. I showed him the door.
I returned to TO (Toronto, Canada). I contacted a reporter at The Globe and Mail. The reporter suggested that I contact someone else at the newpaper, but nothing materialized. I talked to the editor of a local paper owned by the Southam newspaper chain. The editor showed no interest in the story.
Next, I phoned a New York lawyer specializing in cases similar to Mr. Sun's. He wished to defend SUN Dawu. Unfortunately, he needed Mr. Sun's express permission before he could undertake the case. We were unable to contact Mr. Sun because he was held incommunicado. He could neither be contacted by members of his family nor could he make any outside contact.
I decided to self-publish my experiences at the village during that fateful period of time. It had to be done before the uncertain date of the trial; although it was imminent. I included the series of interrogations of myself by the arresting officers and official. It seemed to me that the interrogations reflected to some degree Sun's own experience with his interrogators. On the website, I characterized Sun as a Confucian philosopher. This approach was reflected in several avant-garde newspapers and blogs within China. I scanned brochure pictures that SUN had given me. My website became a source of the few pictures that were available at the time. The pictures were picked up by the Chinese and international press outside of Canada.
The Sun Trial became one of the most famous in modern Chinese history. It dealt with the economic rights of the new entrepreneurial class. The unspoken theme was whether or not this class would be able to wield political power, too. However, the impact of the trial was even more profound because China's property law was formulated over the following year. Certain issues concerning Sun were repeatedly referred to when legislators and legalists were debating the property law. For example, the new property law ensures that a business can operate as a going concern until the defendant is found innocent or guilty. SUN Dawu himself emerged as an outstanding leader based on moral authority.
Most of the following accounts were removed from the website after the trial. They had served their purpose. They are now republished on the web in order to document events that transpired three years ago.
At 3:00 a.m. on the 27th of May, I was awakened by a disturbance. It took place directly across from my hotel room on the fourth floor of a student dormitory. Someone yelled in Chinese "Sit down!" I saw lights turned on and off in various rooms. I followed flashlights as they went from room to room. Then, all was quiet until I heard the soft breathing of a policeman beneath my window.
At the break of dawn, I went for my regular exercise. However, Sun did not appear that morning. When I returned to my room I found a short note left on my desk. It told me to immediately prepare to leave for Beijing. This was strange since I wasn't slated to leave for another two weeks. Later, XU (Dean of the Middle School and also a government official) came to my room. He asked me if I had heard the police siren last night. He informed me that Sun had been arrested. In a surprising move, he asked for the return of his note. I said that I had thrown it away. He retrieved the note from the waste paper basket and tore it into small pieces. Then he ordered me to pack my suitcase.
I asked him why was Sun arrested? He told me that Sun had strange ideas. I replied "Strange ideas?" He clarified his remark by saying that Sun's ideas were advanced. I asked how anyone could be arrested for advanced ideas? Xu replied that it was better to know nothing.
An half hour later, Xu returned to my room. He told me, now, to unpack all my bags. I was not to appear to be leaving. In fact, I must stay. I was under house arrest.
The situation was exceedingly serious. It was obvious that my arrest was connected in some way to the arrest of Sun. He was in terrible, unutterable trouble over his advanced ideas.
Xu said to me that my meals would be brought to my room. Did I want anything special? I replied no salt, no M.S.G and no garlic. In other words, I wanted nothing. My meal was brought at supper time. I refused it. Xu phoned me and told me that I must accept the food; so I allowed the food to be placed on my desk.
Xu also informed me that I would be interviewed by the Xu Shui Police. Nothing to worry about, he said. You will have lots of time to read. Actually, I had been reading Conrad's Nostromo at the time. It seemed to me rather ironical since Sun had been officially charged with establishing an unofficial co-operative bank on behalf of the peasants.
I told him that I wished to speak to the Canadian Embassy. This request was never granted. The cable line to my computer was cut. Mr. Xu had been quite concerned about a mobile telephone call that I had made earlier to a friend just prior to the time my card had run out of money. He asked me if I had phoned the embassy. I replied "No".
A breakfast meal was brought to my room and placed on my desk. There was a bit of confusion since the staff noticed that I hadn't eaten the previous meal. This necessitated another visit from Xu and the following conversation ensued.
XU You must eat your food.
dr Oh.
XU Why don't you eat your food?
dr I follow Gandi.
XU You have a gun?
dr I didn't say that I had a gun. I said that I follow GANDI .
XU Do you mean the leader of the Indian independence movement?
dr I don't advocate an independence movement.
XU Then how do you follow Gandi?
dr I adopt his slow fast.
XU Slow fast?
dr Yes, slo dow you mov too fas.
XU What does that mean?
dr Not eat feat.
XU Can I get you anything else?
dr I need to talk with the Canadian Embassy.
I had never seen police at the Langwuzhuang village, so to be interviewed by police here was an extraordinary event. In fact, they were conspicuous by their absence. There was no need for police here in the past since there had been next to no crime.
The next morning I was interviewed by two uniformed police officers (PO) from the Xu Shui station. The one officer (graduate of Shenyang Police Academy) sat at my desk; although, she had to clear a space between the untouched meals. The police were mainly interested in the date of my arrival, my purpose and who had invited me. Xu interpreted.
PO It's hot in here. Let's open the windows. You don't want to catch SARS through poor ventilation.
dr I was given a full battery of tests upon my arrival which included temperature reading, blood tests and chest x-rays
in the new hospital built by Sun. However, I will set your mind at ease. (for the next two minutes I stuck my own thermometer
in my mouth). You see, my temperature is 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit below a normal reading of 98.6. I have no fever. I am in exceptional health.
PO We have been tested, too. Do you have anything to drink?
dr I have Dawu white wine and Tibetan barley wine.
PO Chinese tea would be better, thanks. I'd like to see your passport.
dr Here it is.
PO I'd like to see your residence permit.
dr Here it is.
PO I'd like to see your Foreign Experts Certificate.
dr Here it is.
PO. When did you arrive at the hotel?
dr I don't exactly know.
PO Why did you come?
dr I am here to set the groundwork for a college that will be established. The students may be from poor families, but they are exceptional in their character and work habits. Look around you. Everything I see is good. There is a library, hospital and school.
(Author's note: It was a cooperative endeavour between Dawu Group and Red Deer College, Alberta. We had held discussions in Beijing. College representatives had previously visited the middle school and a contract was signed. Canadian embassy officials had approved this school after their visit. Mr. Sun was making plans for a large building program at the new college. I had convinced an Australian colleague from Dalian to teach at the school. We were negotiating additional agreements with several other colleges in Beijing and with a Japanese college to establish a nanny training program. I had successfully negotiated with a 4 star hotel in Dalian to train our students on the job. My official position at the college was Dean and member of the Board of Directors. The college was set to begin in three months or September 2003. It would have been called Dawu Red Deer College. Red Deer College lost interest in the project upon Mr. Sun's arrest in June 2003.)
PO How long have you been here?
dr I don't know.
PO Who invited you?
dr The secretary.
PO We're finished for now.
At two o'clock, the Xu Shui police, the officers from Baoding (BPO) and Xu who acted as interpreter entered my room.
BPO Why are you not eating?
dr I'm not hungry.
BPO Is something wrong with you?
dr (No answer)
BPO What are you doing here?
dr. I'm writing poetry. Here is a copy of a poem in progress called
"The Question Mark".
BPO Hmm. How long have you stayed?
dr I'm unsure. I live in the present. I don't know what date it is or even the month.
BPO When did you arrive?
dr I'm not sure. Why don't you check the hotel records?
PO You have stayed at the hotel for more than 10 days and failed to report to the police station.
dr I thought that I had 30 days to report.
PO No, that is only when you are entering the country.
BPO You have contravened Article 44.
dr What is the penalty?
BPO It is a warning or fine of 500 yuan (equivalent to $90 Canadian).
dr I accept responsibility. I'll pay the fine.
BPO Please read Article 1.
dr Do you mean read it out loud?
BPO Yes.
dr (reading Article 1- National Security)
BPO Do you understand?
dr Yes.
BPO Who invited you?
dr The secretary.
BPO Did you come to teach?
dr I came to establish an administrative infrastructure for a college.
BPO But you taught students?
dr I merely gave lectures to an assembly hall filled with three hundred students to promote the program and get students excited about it.
BPO Were you paid?
dr I came as Sun's friend. I received no money. I can provide witnesses who will verify it. (Xu himself among others)
PO You may pay your fine now.
Later, Xu told me why my 500 yuan was returned. It had been determined that I had not been at the hotel for ten days, but that I had been a few hours short of the period. Technically speaking, I was innocent.
Xu arranged for a driver to take me back to Beijing on Friday at 9:00 am the next day. However, at 10:30 p.m. that night I received a call from a teacher of the Communist Youth League. He and his wife had agreed to take a weekend holiday at the hotel as my guests and as the guests of Mr. Sun. This acceptance was the fruit of several months of dinners and discussions with me and conversations with Mr. Sun. The visitors would represent their uncle who owned a major agricultural concern in Shanxi and Outer Mongolia. He had also started four middle schools. In my opinion, this was a match made in Confucian heaven for the Dawu Group.
At seven a.m. the next morning I walked into Xu's class and then met him outside in the hall. I told Xu that I was staying at the hotel even if Sun had been arrested. I wanted the car that would have taken me to Beijing to pick up my guests from Beijing. I would return with my guests on Sunday. I also told him that I wanted to establish this college and link it to the world. I'll realize SUN Dawu's dream for him. Xu was a man of one thousand eXcUses. For example, he replied that it can't be done because of SARS. Peasants were quarantined. I told him that my friend was a Chinese teacher and member of the Communist Youth League rather than a peasant. Finally, I said to him that I had the authority to ask these guests here. He refused to allow my guests to visit and ordered me to return to Beijing.
As I was leaving, Xu made a strange request to me. He wanted to exchange a ten yuan note for some Canadian pocket change. He said that it would impress the children. I did not want to to take any money from him for any purpose, so I refused his request. I felt that he was laying a trap. Furthermore, I wondered what on earth he was thinking. Mr. Sun was just arrested and he is asking me for pocket change? The car did not pick me up at the hotel. I was forced to walk 150 meters down the village road. As I left, I counted fifteen undercover police trying to look inconspicuous.
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