Wu'er Kaixi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wu'er Kaixi
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| Uerkesh Davlet | |||||||||||
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Wu'er Kaixi in 2013
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| Born | 17 February 1968 |
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| Nationality | Republic of China (Taiwan) | ||||||||||
| Alma mater | Minzu University of China Beijing Normal University |
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| Spouse(s) | Chen Huiling | ||||||||||
| Uyghur name | |||||||||||
| Uyghur | ئۆركەش دۆلەت | ||||||||||
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| Chinese name | |||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 吾尔开希·多莱特 | ||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 吾爾開希·多萊特 | ||||||||||
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Wu'er Kaixi (also known as Uerkesh Davlet) is a well-known political speaker from China. He became famous for his important role during the Tiananmen protests of 1989.
While studying at Beijing Normal University, Wu'er Kaixi became a student leader. He was part of a hunger strike and spoke directly to the Chinese Premier, Li Peng, on national television. He helped lead the Beijing Students' Autonomous Federation. This group tried to talk with government officials about their ideas for change.
After the protests, Wu'er Kaixi moved to Taiwan. There, he works as a political commentator, sharing his opinions on current events. He has also tried to become a member of the Legislative Yuan (Taiwan's parliament) a couple of times.
Contents
Early Life and Background
Wu'er Kaixi was born in Beijing on February 17, 1968. His family originally came from a place called Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture in Xinjiang.
Student Protests and Leadership
Wu'er Kaixi first arrived at Tiananmen Square in Beijing in April 1989. This was at the very start of the student movement. He had already helped create an independent student group at Beijing Normal University. As more and more people joined the protests, he quickly became one of the most vocal student leaders.
He was elected as the president of the Autonomous Union after a very successful protest on April 27.
Meeting with Premier Li Peng
In May 1989, Wu'er Kaixi met with Premier Li Peng. This meeting was shown on national television. Wu'er Kaixi spoke up, even interrupting the Premier. He said, "I understand it is quite rude of me to interrupt you, Premier, but there are people sitting out there in the square, being hungry, as we sit here and exchange pleasantries. We are only here to discuss concrete matters, sir."
He explained that students had been trying to talk to the Premier for a long time. He also shared what the students wanted. They wanted more freedom to discuss issues and to be respected by society.
Events in Tiananmen Square
Wu'er Kaixi stated he was in the square when soldiers arrived after martial law was declared. However, many eyewitness accounts have said that students who stayed in the square were allowed to leave peacefully. It was later shown that Wu'er Kaixi had left the square several hours before the main events he described.
Life After 1989
After the protests, Wu'er Kaixi was on China's list of most wanted student leaders. He left China and went to France through Hong Kong. This was part of a secret operation called Operation Yellowbird. He then studied at Harvard University in the United States. Later, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and continued his studies at Dominican University.
Eventually, he moved to Taiwan. He married a Taiwanese woman and started a family there. For a few years, from 1998 to 2001, he hosted a talk show on a local radio station.
Political Commentary and Views
Wu'er Kaixi often appears on television as a political commentator. He speaks about current events and politics. He supports democracy in Taiwan and wants to see a strong civil society.
He has sometimes criticized the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). However, he is now seen as a supporter of Pan-Green politics. He has also strongly criticized the KMT party. In an interview in 2014, he said that while he wasn't a nationalist, he would choose independence for Taiwan if he had to. He explained that most Taiwanese people want to keep things as they are to avoid conflict with mainland China.
Attempts to Return Home
Wu'er Kaixi has a strong wish to return to mainland China to see his parents. He has not seen them since 1989. He has not been allowed to enter mainland China, and his parents have not been able to get passports to visit him.
He has tried several times to return to China. In 2009, he went to Macau hoping to be arrested and clear his name, but he was sent back to Taiwan. In 2010, he tried to enter the Chinese embassy in Tokyo, Japan, but was arrested and then released. In 2012, he tried to turn himself in at the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., but they ignored him. He tried again in Hong Kong in 2013 and was again sent back to Taiwan.
In 2013, Wu'er Kaixi helped launch a Chinese version of a communication platform called Kwikdesk.
In 2019, on the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, Wu'er Kaixi spoke before the United States House of Representatives. His speech was filmed for a documentary called The Exiles (2022). This film won a major award at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2024, he experienced a fall that led to a serious coma.
Political Activities
Wu'er Kaixi's political ideas are closely linked to his past activism. He works with groups that support human rights and progressive politics. In Taiwan, he has said he wants to take a stronger approach to Taiwan's relationship with mainland China.
Even though he supports the Pan-Green Coalition, he still considers himself to be of Chinese nationality. He has said, "China is the home of my parents. Taiwan is the home of my children."
In 2014, Wu'er Kaixi announced he would run for a seat in the legislature. However, he later decided to withdraw from the race. He felt that the short term of office would not be enough time to achieve his political goals.
In 2015, Wu'er Kaixi tried again to win a seat in the Legislative Yuan, but he was not successful.
In 2019, Wu'er Kaixi supported the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests against an extradition bill. He saw a connection between these protests and the events in Tiananmen Square in 1989. He believes that the central government does not want to give its people freedom. He said, "It's the same enemy of the people that links the two demonstrations."
Images for kids
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Wu'er Kaixi in 2013
