Ai Weiwei (艾未未) on Citizenship and Freedom

The 1984 BBS is a private online forum that has over 7000 registered members in China. Ai Weiwei, who had just returned to his Beijing home from an international trip few days earlier, was a special guest for a one hour online chat with members of the forum from 8 to 9 pm, December 17, 2009. CDT has translated excerpts of the Q & A; the full text (in Chinese) is here.

Songshinan (Chat host): You were just named by ?Southern Wind? magazine as the 2009 Man of Public Interest. You deserve it.

In 2009, you and your team found at least 5000 names of children who died during the Sichaun earthquake. Your action warmed thousands of families, moved inumerous conscientious Chinese and made them feel angry and inspired, and also cornered the stupid Sichuan government.

In your own unique way, you have challenged the authoritarian windmill, used courage to press the cowardice of the authorities, used playfulness to highlight the authorities’ stupidity, used persistence to reveal the authorities’ crudeness, used your action to prove authorities’ falseness.

In my heart, you are more than the man of 2009; you are the largest Grass-Mud Horse in China this year.

Questions from forum members:

fatherofmissingfish: Hi Old Ai. 2009 was a hard year.  There was Huang Qi, then Tan Zuoren [inprisoned]. The government repression of rights defenders has been extremely harsh. What do you think about the future of the human rights movement?

Ai Weiwei: The government is protecting their power; citizens are defending their rights. No matter how hard defending rights is, this is the only way.

ririxishou?Hi teacher Ai. [In Chinese, "teacher" is a term of respect] I want to ask one question.  Which dimension of change do you think is most important for today’s China: Is it immediate demands for freedom? Or raising citizen consciousness first, then talking about freedom?

Ai Weiwei: For the question of freedom, there is no bargain, no strategy. You are either free or not free.

Kaidijianeng: Teacher Ai, please share your thoughts on “freedom” and “citizenship” in today’s society. What are your expectations for government and for citizens?

Ai Weiwei: Today the government’s wisdom is to play dead; citizen’s wisdom is to kick [the government's] ass, regardless if it’s playing dead or really dead.

vahine: Grandpa Ai [In Chinese, "grandpa" is an informal term of high respect], is there any space to compromise between us and authorities? Is there still a possibility of constructive interaction?

Ai Weiwei: I think we have a 100% bastard government, but only less then 5% of citizens demand democracy, equality and justice. So there is a lot of space.

jencoxu: Do you still have any hope for China? Do you think the next round of reforms will be top down or bottom up?

Ai Weiwei: I never had any hope for China. I am only resisting the hopelessness China is imposing on me.

Zhangyang: Dearest Grandpa Ai, my question is: What factors in Chinese culture are preventing the establishment of civil society? How can we address that?

Ai Weiwei: We always talk about Chinese culture this and Chinese culture that.  As a matter of fact, Chinese culture has no damn business here. Forget about Chinese culture; this is the shortcut to civil society.

wtdd: How big is the possibility of organizing an opposition party, for example through Twitter?

Ai Weiwei: The order should be, organizing people on Twitter first, then organizing a party.

zyl1989?Are you ready for prison? Or put it this way, the government has not yet put you into a prison cell. Is it because they do not think you are threatening enough?

Ai Weiwei: I don’t think so. It is because the prison cell is not big enough.

pigselbow: In an intervew about the 1980s generation,  Chen Danqing [an artist] commented that you are a lefty artist. What do you think about his comment?

Ai Weiwei: Left or right, that’s a scholar’s business. As a citizen, there is only one position: Grass-Mud Horse.

louy0427: Master Ai, I salute you and pay my respect here.  I want to ask what kind of strength sustains you on the current road? After all, your fame and influence can open any country’s door for you. Please tell us, when more and more elites emigrate to foreign countries because they are disappointed in the ruling powerful of this land, why have you chosen a road full of danger and unknowns? After all, you are facing a ruthless government which has a powerful propaganda apparatus and violent force! Thank you!

Ai Weiwei: If I give up the country I am in, then I have lost my reason to choose any other country. If I denied my current road, there is no other road in front of me.

li198558: Please Mr. Ai tell us why you investigate the names of students who died in the earthquake? Tell us the truth!

Ai Weiwei: I don’t believe the parents of these kids did not name them.

Ricebowl: Facing such a bastard society, is Teacher Ai ever depressed? How can you keep full of energy?

Ai Weiwei: Mixing bastardness with depression you will for sure be full of energy, this is a secret recipe from our ancestors.

runnakedisanotherkindofbeauty: Teacher Ai, if you had 10,000 soldiers, would you rebel?

Ai Weiwei: I would command all of them to run naked.

Openthemouth: Please let us know your thoughts. In the current situation, the government’s political propaganda and influence has reached every cell of society, and [the government] purposely weakens citizen education. How can we effectively raise the consciousness of citizens? Facing the powerful propaganda machine, how can we maximize the voices of dissent?

Ai Weiwei: In the lengthy life time, you just need to express yourself simultaneously with others one time, and the world will be changed.

maoxihua: For the group who demands democracy, equality and justice but makes up less then 5% of the population, what should these people do?

Ai Weiwei: Reach 6% ASAP.

??????“?????”????????
[???2009-12-20] ???1984BBS ?????? [???? ? ?]
1984BBS?????????????“?????”

Live!????6?

????????1984BBS????“?????”????????

????2009?12?17????20?-21??

??????

??????????

??
?????? http://www.bullogger.com/blogs/aiww/
?????? https://twitter.com/aiww

??????
??????

(???????????1984BBS)

????????????????

??????????

????????????2009????????????????2009??????????????5000???????????????????????????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????2009????????????

????????????????????????????????????????????

???????????5192?????????????????????????????????????

?? ????????

????????2009?????????????????????????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????????

Big? ?????????????????????????????????????????……???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
?????????????????????????????????????????????????

wangjinbo?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
???????????“??”?????????“?????”?????????????????????????????????????????????????“????”?
hdtv720p??????????????????????????????.
????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

????“????”?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

ririxishou????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
???????????????????????????????????????

???????????????????
1????????????????????????????
2??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
????
1.?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
2.?????????

???SABER?????YY???
???????????? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

??????: ???.????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????????????????

???????????????????
?????????????????????????????????????

???????????????09????????????????
???????????????????????????????????????

against ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????——????????????????????????
????“?????????”

YAs:?????????????????????????????????????
?????????????49???????????????????????????????
???:????????????????????????????????

aneurin0224:?????????????????????
???:?????????

?? ?????????

??????????????????????
“????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????”?????????? ????????
??????????????
?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

???????????????????????“?????”????????????????????
??????????????????????????????????????????

vahine?????????????????????????????
???????????????????????????????????????????????,??????????

wtdd ?????2010~2012???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

???????????????????????????????
???????????????????????

jencoxu????????????????????????????????????????
???:????????????????????????????

arewhoarewho???????????????????????????????????????09?12?10????????
?????????????????????????????????????????????????????11???
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????twitter?????????????????????????????????????? ?????
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

???:?????????????????????????????????????????????????????

?????1.????????????50????????????????????????????????????——????1989????????????????????
2.?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
???:1?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
2?????????????????????????????????????

?? ??????,??????????????????????????????
???:????????????????????????????????????????????

??????.?????????????,????????????????????,????????????????,??????????..????????,????????????????.
???:?????????????????????????????????????????????

??????????????????????
???:???????
???????????????????????????????

gssh2007????????
??????????????????????????
1?????????????
2?????????????
3???????????????
4??????????????
5????????????????
6????????????
7????????
8??????
???????????????????????????
???:?????????????????????

wtdd:???????????????????????????????
?????????????????twitter??
???:?????????????

?? ??????

?????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

zyl1989????????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????

??:???????????????????????????????????????
???????????????????????????

AIYIBA????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????????????????????

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????????????

icefireboy1?????????????????????????????????????????????????
??????????????

??:?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
?????????????????????????????????????
???????????????????????????????
?????????????????????

simabull : 1. ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????
2. ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
????1?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
2???????????????????????????????????????????????????????

kangkang220????????????????
???????????????

????????????,??????????????????????
??????????????????????????????

louy0427 ????????????
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
???:???????????????????????????
?????????????????????????

li198558??????????????????????????????
???:????????????????????

???????:???????????????
???:????

??? ????? ??????
???2000???????????????????????? ?? ????07?????????????? ????????????????????????????50???????????? ???????????????
?? ??cctv10?????????????? ???????? ????????????? ????????

???:??????“?????”?“?????”??????????????????????????????????????????????? ??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

?? ??????

?????:???????????????????????????????CARE???????????????????????????????????????????????????????
??????????
???????????????????????

hehuan ??????
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
hdtv720p???????????????????????.

yangweilawyer????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????????????????

??????????

??? ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????

deadfall?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
?????????????????????????????????

daxa ????1.??“???????”?“????”?“??”???
2.?????????????????????????????????????????
????1????????????????????????
2???????????????????

yunti52 ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????? ??????????????????

agw???????????????????????????????????????????????
?????????????????????????????????????
????????????????????????????

xiaochuan : ?????????????????????????????????
???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

wuzhiwo??????.???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
??????????????????????????? ???????????????????????

maoxihua?5%(94392196) 20:30:51 ?????????????????????????????????
???????????????????

rhythmofwolf:???????
1.??????????????????????????
2.?????????????????????????????????????????????????
3.????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

xudijing ??????????????????????????

????1???80???????80???????80?????????
2???????????????????
3?????????????????????

?? ????????????????????????????????????????????
???:???????????

psuidt ??!???????,????????????????????,???:????????????????,??????
??????~~????????????????????????~
MaDeinChina ? ????????????????????????
???:???????????????

????

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????“?? ????????????????”“?”??????”??????”?

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

?????????????????????????????????????????????????? ????????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

???????????????????????????????????????????

????????

??????????????????????????????????????????????????

???:?????????????????????????
??1984?????

This post was posted on CDT on December 20, 2009. This is a repost.