THE Chinese clamped down on its democoinciding with the third anniversary of the Tienanmen Square demonstration which gave birth to the latest wave of opposition.
Plain clothes police arrested four oppositionists as they were putting up a wall poster last week. The four included Ren Wanding, the founder of the Human Rights Alliance.
The Peking city authorities have banned slogans, posters, books, periodicals, and photographs which are *opposed to socialism and to the leadership of the party. Wall posters can only be displayed "designated places'.
This has meant the end of Peking's Democracy Wall'. High pressure hoses have been used to clean off ised' posters.
The clampdown may have been immediately provoked by wall posters and slogans crincising une chinese Invasion of Vietnam - - certainly the first ban on big character posters in February was specifically over has ihe issue of the war.
But this also marks a new stage in the political situation. The Tienanmen demonstration of 5 April 1976 was the starting point of a campaign for the rehabilitation of Deng ping now Vies Minister. As result democratic opposition and the pro-Deng faction bureaucracy have got mixed up Some of those who produced wall posters calling for 'socialist democracy' have maintained that Deng was the who could bring about. This clampdown has shattered that illusion.
Ine high point democratic movement so far came at the end of January when a large demonstration of poor peasants protested outside a banquet hosted by premier Guofeng and were dispersed by troops.
One of the organisers of the peasant protest, Fu was later arrested.
International has concern over her subsequent disappearance.
Also arrested in the latest round-up was Wei Jingsheng the author of a celebrated wall poster calling for 'democracy, Хіво- not slavery', and editor of a Prime wall newspaper called Explorathe tion.
The slogan guiding official of policy since the middle of the STRe decade has been that of the 'Four Modernisations'.
have suggests the addition of a fifth HOGCENSHIOI There has been a flowering of unofficial groups organising that fifth The best known is the Human Rights Alliance, whose leader of the Ren Wanding was arrested last week.
The Alliance has published a 19-point programme and students includes demands release of political prisoners, for elections with the right to Hua form opposition the abolition police, for an Yuehua, censorship, for Amnesty travel, for a minimum grain expressed ration for the peasantry and Soviet Union. for a reconciliation with the The Soviet Union is a socialist country, the programme says. THE latest Intercontinental Press/Inprecor (Vol 17, No 13) is a special issue of debate on Indochina, including contribu tions by Ernest Mandel, Fred Feldman and the Japan Revolutionary Communist League Single copies are 30р. Subscrintions are f9 for one year, f5 for six months or £2.50 for an introductory offer of 10 issues. Write now to Intercon tinental Press/Inprecor PO BOx 50, London N1 2XP Cheques payable to Intercontinental Press Socialist Challenge 12 April 1979 Page 11
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