1. Ding Zilin is a retired professor of philosophy and the leader of the political activist group Tiananmen Mothers.
22 Facts About Ding Zilin
1. 2.
Ding Zilin, born in Shanghai on December 20,1936, was professor of philosophy at Renmin University of China in Beijing.
3.
Ding Zilin left the family home in defiance of the curfew.
4.
Ding Zilin says he was shot through the heart by riot police on the way to Tiananmen Square.
5.
Ding Zilin was rushed to the Beijing Children's Hospital, where he was pronounced "Dead on arrival".
6.
Ding Zilin formed a network of some 150 other families who had lost sons and daughters during the 1989 Tiananmen massacre, and this group became known as "Tiananmen Mothers".
7.
Ding Zilin was allegedly told by a senior official that a review of the June 4,1989, crackdown was "out of the question".
8.
Ding Zilin has been collecting the names of those who were shot dead by the People's Liberation Army in Beijing around June 4,1989.
9.
However, upon close inspection of the cause of deaths, not all individuals on Ding Zilin's list died directly at the hands of the army.
10.
Ding Zilin was ordered to leave Beijing for a forced vacation during the 2008 Summer Olympics.
11.
Since her son's death in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, Ding Zilin has been fighting for justice for the victims.
12.
Ding Zilin's activism has drawn international attention and association with recognizable human rights groups such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and HRIC.
13.
Ding Zilin describes how she will defy authorities and lay a memorial off Chang'an Avenue.
14.
Ding Zilin suggests "behind the bravado, the party is as fearful as a deer in the headlights," of displays of support that show that despite government efforts to erase history many refuse to forget.
15.
In June 2009, in a Newsweek interview with Ding Zilin, she condemned the actions and legacy of many historical figures.
16.
Ding Zilin questioned why Deng Xiaoping was not brought to justice like the notorious former Cambodian Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot.
17.
Ding Zilin uses her son's story to spread the message of human rights in China and feels it should be a central political issue.
18.
Ding Zilin was disappointed when US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that close Sino-American Relations should not be overshadowed by human rights.
19.
Ding Zilin does acknowledge that in 1995 Hillary Clinton helped to get her released from one of her many incarcerations.
20.
Ding Zilin has dedicated the remainder of her life after her son's death to being a human rights activist.
21.
Ding Zilin has most recently spoken out in support of Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo.
22.
Ding Zilin's continued campaigning relies on support from fundraising organizations like Fill the Square.