Chai Ling facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chai Ling
柴玲
Chai Ling (2009)
Born	(1966-04-15) April 15, 1966 (age 59) Rizhao, Shandong, China
Citizenship	United States People's Republic of China (former)
Alma mater	Peking University (BA) Beijing Normal University Princeton University (MLA) Harvard University (MBA)
Occupation	President and chief operating officer of Jenzabar
Known for	Student leader during Tiananmen square protests
Movement	June 4th Movement
Spouse(s)	Feng Congde ​ ​ (m. 1987; div. 1990)​ Robert Maginn ​ (m. 2001)​
Children	3 (with Maginn)

Chai Ling (Chinese: 柴玲; pinyin: Chái Líng; born April 15, 1966) is a Chinese psychologist. She became well-known as a student leader during the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989. These protests were a big movement where students and others asked for more freedom and democracy in China.

Chai Ling also started "All Girls Allowed," an organization that works to end China's former one-child policy. She is also the founder and president of Jenzabar, a company that creates software for schools and universities. She has made some comments about her role in the 1989 protests that have caused discussion and legal disagreements.

Early Life and Education

Chai Ling was born on April 15, 1966, in Rizhao, Shandong, China. Her parents were both doctors in the Chinese army. She was the oldest of four children.

In 1983, Chai Ling began studying at Peking University. There, she earned a bachelor's degree in psychology. Later, she continued her studies at Beijing Normal University.

She met her first husband, Feng Congde, in 1987. They got married in 1988. Their marriage ended after the 1989 protests.

Role in the 1989 Protests

Chai Ling became involved in the Tiananmen Square protests through her work with a student committee at Peking University. She gained importance when she joined a student hunger strike.

She has said that the idea for the hunger strike came from another student. On May 12, 1989, she decided to join the hunger strike. She gave a speech that helped gather a lot of support for the movement.

Leading the Hunger Strike

As the hunger strike grew, Chai Ling's influence increased. On May 13, she talked with government officials. Two days later, she was chosen to lead the Hunger Strike Committee. This was one of the main student groups in Tiananmen Square.

On May 19, Chai Ling announced the end of the hunger strike. This decision was not popular with everyone. She and other leaders went into hiding briefly due to rumors of a government crackdown. They returned when no attack happened.

Later, students voted to transfer leadership to a new group called the Defend Tiananmen Square Headquarters. Chai Ling was chosen as its leader. She briefly resigned but later took back her position.

Challenges and Controversies

Chai Ling was very dedicated to the student movement. She believed it should stay focused on student goals. She did not want non-students to get too involved.

She also had some disagreements with other student leaders. She felt some groups lacked strong leadership. In an interview, she suggested that the movement might need a violent ending to truly unite the Chinese people. However, she later said these comments were taken out of context. She also claimed she heard the idea of a violent crackdown from another student leader.

Escape and Life in Exile

When the government crackdown happened on June 3, 1989, Chai Ling and Feng Congde escaped Beijing by train. They hid for ten months. Many people and organizations helped them.

On June 8, Chai Ling recorded a speech while hiding. In it, she shared her experience of the crackdown. She said she saw many students and workers killed in the square. However, other reports, including declassified US embassy cables, stated that students were allowed to leave peacefully. Some witnesses had different accounts of what happened in the square.

On June 13, the government issued an arrest warrant for student leaders. Chai Ling was fourth on the list. Eventually, she and Feng were secretly helped to escape China. They went to Hong Kong and then to France. This escape was part of a secret operation called Operation Yellowbird.

Life After Tiananmen

After leaving China, Chai Ling was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990. She also received a scholarship to study at Princeton University in the United States. At Princeton, she studied politics and international relations.

After graduating from Princeton in 1993, Chai Ling worked at a consulting firm. There, she met her current husband, Robert A. Maginn Jr. They married in 2001 and live in the United States. They have three daughters.

In 1998, Chai Ling earned her MBA from Harvard University. She then started an internet company called Jenzabar. This company provides software for universities in the United States. She has been the president of Jenzabar since she founded it.

In 2009, Chai Ling became a Christian. In 2010, she started a non-profit organization called "All Girls Allowed." This group works to stop human rights problems related to China's former One-Child Policy.

Chai Ling wrote an autobiography called A Heart for Freedom. It was published in 2011. She has also testified before the United States Congress several times about human rights in China.

The Gate of Heavenly Peace Documentary

A documentary film called The Gate of Heavenly Peace includes parts of an interview with Chai Ling. This interview was filmed on May 28, 1989, before the main crackdown.

The film's footage has been confirmed as real. However, Chai Ling says that her words were taken out of context. She also claims the translation was wrong. Declassified US embassy cables also disagreed with her later statements about a massacre in the square.

Chai Ling has filed lawsuits against the non-profit group that made the film. She claimed that the film defamed her. She also said they used her company's name unfairly on their website. However, the courts dismissed her lawsuits. The court even ordered her to pay the film producers' legal fees. The court said her lawsuits were not to protect her company but to stop criticism.

See also

In Spanish: Chai Ling para niños

• Women's roles during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre