Statements of Panelists:

Wang Dan
Mr. Wang came to international attention while a student at Beijing University in 1989, as one of the leaders of the pro-democracy student movement in Beijing's Tiananmen Square. Following the violent suppression of the demonstrations, Mr. Wang topped the Chinese government's most-wanted list. He was arrested and sentenced to four years in prison. Mr. Wang was released from prison in 1993, but was detained again in 1995 and held without charges for seventeen months. In October 1996, the Chinese government formally arrested and convicted him of attempting to subvert China's government. He was sentenced to eleven years in prison. In April 1998, Chinese authorities released Mr. Wang from prison and expelled him to the United States.

Mr. Wang is currently a graduate student in the Department of History and East Asian Languages at Harvard University in Cambridge, MA.

Liu Gang
Liu Gang's career as a student leader at Beijing University began in 1985. He organized pro-democracy demonstrations in 1985, 1986, and 1989, and was detained for his political role several times in 1986, 1989, and 1995. Mr. Liu was among the key leaders in the 1989 democracy movement in China, and was third on the PRC government's list of those most wanted in the post-Tiananmen Square crackdown. He was arrested in 1989 and sentenced to six years imprisonment.

Mr. Liu currently works a Senior Engineer at Aerie Networks in Denver, Colorado.

Liu Gang Powerpoint Presentation

Tong Yi
Ms. Tong was active in the student democracy movement in Beijing of 1989, and subsequently worked as personal secretary to democracy activist Wei Jingsheng. As a result of this work, Ms. Tong was detained in 1993 and sentenced to "re-education through labor" in Wuhan. She was released in October 1996 after serving 2 ½ years, and came to the United States to study in July 1997.

Tong Yi currently is an associate in the New York office of the law firm Gibson, Dunn, & Crutcher LLP.