Freed lawyer Tang Jingling vows to continue fight for human rights, democracy in China
- After spending five years in prison for inciting subversion, the 48-year-old has returned to his hometown and says the jail time confirmed his beliefs
- He was jailed along with two other activists after distributing books and printed materials on grass-roots pro-democracy campaigning
In an interview with the South China Morning Post on Tuesday, Tang said he stood by his beliefs about advancing democracy in the country.
“My imprisonment has confirmed my beliefs that [building] a democratic society that values human rights is the only way to prevent tragedies, such as what happened to me, from happening again to other people,” Tang said. “I believe [democracy] is still the way to go [for China] – where every citizen can stand up for their rights.
“For people who advocate for democracy, they should come forward and help others in every possible way they can, especially [for those] who desperately need help,” he added.
A prominent human rights lawyer, Tang has spent more than two decades advocating non-violent civil disobedience to push for democracy in China. He lost his lawyer’s licence in 2006 after representing villagers in Taishi of Panyu district, Guangdong in their fight against illegal land seizures.
