Han Dongfang

Han graduated high school in Beijing but did not attend college or university. Despite this, he was an avid reader of everything from Greek to Chinese classics and worked as an assistant librarian at Beijing Normal University. Because of this, Han believed that workers needed to protect and represent their own interests, which most likely served as a key incentive for him to join the BWAF. == Public Security Soldiers Corps ==

In 1980, Han decided to join the Gong An Bing, or Public Security Soldiers Corps. After going through basic training at the Qinghe prison labor camp, he was given command of a squad consisting of 12 men. During an annual review of the camp, he claimed that officers were stealing a third of the food rations from his men, and that his men were also being beaten and abused. Han claimed that these acts were in violation of Chairman Mao's teachings that officers and soldiers should share good and bad fortunes and be treated as equals. Han's application to join the Communist Party was allegedly destroyed by a battalion commandant the following day. == Tiananmen Square ==

On April 17, 1989, Han gave a speech at the Tiananmen Square protests that praised the moral courage of the students at the Square and advocated for the protection and constitutional right for Chinese workers to freely organize. Likewise, many students felt that the movement needed to remain solely run by students to avoid giving the government grounds for accusing them of trying to start a revolution. == Beijing Workers' Autonomous Federation ==

Han joined the movement and became a leader within BWAF when its membership numbered just a few hundred. He did not have much faith that the BWAF or the Tiananmen Protests would survive very long, but he felt that the BWAF was important since its legacy would live on through the workers who would be educated about China's constitution. == Han's arrest after Tiananmen protests ==

After finding out he was at the top of the most wanted list, Han wanted to avoid the "humiliation" of being tracked down the police and turned himself in to "straighten out" the police and tell them what really happened at the protests. He then spent 22 months in prison, where he often debated with interrogators and prison guards about the formation of the Tiananmen protests, particularly about the protests’ spontaneous rather than planned nature. He was freed in 1992 after an international campaign pressured the Chinese government to release him to the United States for treatment of tuberculosis, which he contracted while imprisoned. Han then attempted to travel back to China but was expelled to Hong Kong, where he founded the China Labor Bulletin. == Awards ==

• 1993 Democracy Award • 1996 • 2005 Gleitsman International Activist Award == Sources ==

• Han Dongfang's Youtube page – videos of Han's call-in program with Radio Free Asia (Mandarin language) • Social Justice and Harmony in China: Trade Union Movement – talk by Han to UCLA International Institute on June 2, 2005 • When will we have Free Unions in China? – online video of speech given in February 2007 in Montreal • Speech by Han on unions to SEIU United Healthcare Workers-West on March 8, 2008