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Show 2 SICNPOST - Tuesday, June 27,1989 New Chinese exchange student remains hopeful (CPS) Jie Cheng had his first brush with the kind of repression now sweeping through his homeland of China when he was seven. The Red Guards crashed into his family's home in Shanghai one evening, searching for "so-called evidence" that his mother, then and assistant to the president of St. John's University in Shanghai, had sympathies for western ways. In late June, as the Beijing government sentenced 11 pro-democracy students to death, Jie, now 29 and a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Minnesota, found himself confronting many of the same fears and cautions he weathered during that long-ago Red Guard raid. Jie's contacts with his mother and father, now retired in Shanghai, 800 miles from Beijing, have been eerily stilted since June 4, when Chinese troops invaded Tiananmen Square in Beijing to crush the ., seven-week-old "democracy movement" by firing on unarmed students demonstrating for more political freedoms. The ensuing massacre, in which from a dozen to several thousand people may have died, was the - first - step in a brutal crackdown that has brought dissidents to trial, cut off information flowing into China and, at last, effectively isolated the 40,000 Chinese students and scholars presently on campuses throughout the United States. "I tell them what I see on TV," Lower the numbers and raise your odds. Controlling your blood pressure can reduce your chances of heart disease. Have your blood pressure checked. And keep it in check for life. Jie said of his phone calls to his parents. "They just listen and never make comments," although he isn't exactly sure why. "Even now, they still believe that communists are not that bad. They at least get this country united, and they made our country a strong country," Jie said. Jie also believes it "I don't care whether you are communist, socialist or capitalist. The very last goal is saying everyone can have freedom and can live a peaceful life. That is what all students are behind," he said. His ongoing belief in the Communist Party will protect him when he returns home despite his pro-democracy activism in the United States, Jie maintained. "I grew up in com munism ," he explained. "I know how to live there and how to get my goals accomplished." As vice-chairman of Minnesota's Friendship Association of Chinese Students and Scholars, he helped raise about $5,000 to support the students demonstrating at Tiananmen Square. Now the group is sending money to families of some of the victims killed in the massacre there, which, Jie admits, "could be a reason to be afraid.". "We are part of the students in China and we recognize ourselves as their classmates. We support their demands," he said. Chinese students here are also concerned with getting the truth out to the Chinese people. For a week, they used fax machines to C American Heart Association WE'RE FIGHTING FOR NQUR LIFE send newspaper accounts to China. Jie is shocked by the government's claims that no students were killed during the - ' I 'I f , ' ' ' - i I h v ; TV- i n if" v ' ""' " V " -" - y '" y frifefy-mWI i ilillii II i" M i Miriam ....nw. w:.,;. . . Jit' June 4 confrontation. "Because we know the truth (about the massacre), we feel obligated to be involved. We By Jill Titensor Photo Editor The 67th Aerial Port Squadron has been sponsoring a handicapped class at Mound Fort Middle School in Ogden for almost three years now and just last month made another contribution to that group. Last April, during a visit to the school, two squadron members, SSG Thomas Regan and SRA Jill Titensor learned that the kids could use a new learning toy. At the 67th's May UTA, $200 was collected from squadron members and presented to Mr. Willden, the director of the handicapped class, and to the school's principal. Mr. Willden will use that money to purchase a large parachute with handles and accessories. He said the parachute can be used as a coordination builder, as well as a the Communist Party itself will probably' change itself to take the lead in the movement, "Maybe late in the year or Cheng believe in democracy," he said. Like many Chinese students, Jie believes the pro-democracy movement will succeed, and that Handicapped kids enjoyed class early next year, some moderate will take over. The hard-liners can't stay long," Jie said. But' Jie spoke sorrowfully of the risk to China's development since 1977 of a more open atmosphere in which people could discuss political events and criticize leaders. Jie remembers when he was home last summer and riding on a public bus. "People so openly criticized this leader or this policy, I felt really confident and felt it was tremendous change. Now we are turning back," Jie said. Before President George Bush's June 20 decision to cut off most "high level" diplomatic contacts with China and to drop U.S. support for a huge World Bank loan to China, he said he supported Bush's responses to the crises. He hoped the U.S. would resist imposing economic sanctions. "The Chinese people would be the ones hurt by this. The only way for the U.S. to have an influence is to maintain a presence there." Jie plans to go back to China in a couple of years with his wife, Qun. She is also a University of Minnesota Ph.D. candidate in civil engineering. He said he would like to work with an American or international company in China. "This would be good for my country and for myself. I could maintain my foreign connections and would have the chance to get out of the country." fun game for the kids. Regan and Titensor had gone to the class in April for a special breakfast, prepared and served by the kids in the class. While at the breakfast, Regan and Titensor had the opportunity to see a little of what is accomplished at Mound Fort's program. The children in the class range in age from 11 to 14. Younger children go to Gramercy Elementary, while older kids go on to special classes at either Ben Lomond or Ogden High School. Before last year, all the children met at Mound Fort According to Willden, all the kids are classified as severely muluply handicapped (SMH). That includes one diabetic girl who also has Down's Syndrome, one boy who has severe seizures and two autistic children. As Mr. Willden explained to squadron (see KIDS on page 3) |