From: "Junwei W. Hou" <jwh3@PO.CWRU.EDU>
Subject:      The Inaugural, IFCSS and Dr. Zhao
Reply-To: "Junwei W. Hou" <jwh3@po.CWRU.Edu>
Organization: Indiana University
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 07:25:42 GMT
Comments: To: china-nt@uga.cc.uga.edu

     I assume that many of us have watched today's news, witnessing
the greatness of this nation peacefully transferring her power.
     Yes, we're lucky to witness the awe of the civilization in its
highest form.  And we're fortunate to benefit from such peaceful
transfer of power: It'll be up to the new President to decide
whether the Chinese Student Protection Act, signed into law by
Former President Bush, is implemented in July.
     While watching the swear-in of a new American President who is
far younger than our parents, and the departure of the Former
President, once the youngest navy pilot fighting the Japanese over
Pacific Ocean during the World War II,  I was thinking about what
makes this nation great, and about what makes the peaceful transfer
of the greatest power in the world possible.  The answer seems
simple on its surface: it is the people of this nation.  The people
of this nation value the democratic process greatly.  The people of
this nation preserve well the integrity of their institution of
government.  But it's not that simple as to newcomers, including
the CSS.  It inevitably leads to my thought about IFCSS as some
netters lately have voiced their anxiety over Dr. Zhao Haiqing
resignation from IFCSS's CCSA chair.  And once again, I find myself
awkwardly trying to give a reason to such uneasiness.

     Few will disagree that Dr. Zhao had been playing a leadership
role during that successful campaign.   No doubt, Dr. Zhao had done
an excellent job in representing the CSS during the past three
years while working on the protection bill.  During those days, we
were all too familiar with Dr. Zhao's posts vividly describing his
friendship with key lawmakers and his indispensable role in
lobbying the lawmakers on behalf of the bill.  So many of us were,
perhaps still are, convinced that Dr. Zhao possessed the kind of
magic power which would dictate the down and fall of the protection
bill.

     However, undeniably, it is IFCSS which has continuously been
working on behalf of the CSS in the U.S.  It is IFCSS that has been
representing the interests of the CSS, especially during the
protection bill campaign.  It is IFCSS which the lawmakers of this
nation consider as a legitimate representative of over 40,000 CSS
in the U.S.  Needless to say, Dr. Zhao had the magic power because
he represented IFCSS.  The lawmakers listened to him because they
understood that Dr. Zhao was a representative elected by the CSS.
Most, if not all, of Dr. Zhao's magic power came with his title as
a representative of the CSS.  Without any doubts, it was the CSS
who empowered Dr. Zhao during the campaign.

     As we all have known as a fact that, following IFCSS's
charters and by-laws, our IFCSS has elected a new president last
July.  Like it or not, the new IFCSS president was elected through
the process agreed upon by the CSS and their representatives.  Like
it or not, in the eyes of the U.S. lawmakers, IFCSS, under the new
leadership of the new president, remains to be the legitimate
representative of the CSS in the U.S.   As a result, the former
IFCSS president, Dr. Zhao, must be subordinate to the new IFCSS
president if Dr. Zhao is to continue to work in the new IFCSS
administration.

     Unfortunately, as I have observed, Dr. Zhao has repeatedly
demonstrated his contempt towards the institutional integrity of
IFCSS to which the lawmakers of this nation have praised highly and
under the leadership of which the protection bill campaign has been
successfully coordinated.  Dr. Zhao's thinking which led to his
refusal to disclose the CSS donation account under his control is
beyond comprehension.  His explanation about his transferring of
over $50,000 of the campaign fund from IFCSS to May 4 Foundation
leaves no doubt as to his dishonesty if not outright fraudulence in
violation of relevant U.S. laws.   As a participant in the
protection bill campaign, I'm increasingly convinced that Dr.
Zhao's competence has been severely damaged by his insubordinate
conducts and his dishonesty revealed so plentifully since his
departure from the 3rd term presidency.  Perhaps it's time for the
CSS to realize that the integrity of IFCSS, the ultimate strength
of the CSS's successful campaign, is far more important than Dr.
Zhao's ego and his self-interest.

     Understandably, many of us identify with IFCSS not because of
IFCSS's stand on promoting democracy in China, but because IFCSS
has successfully organized a campaign which promises to bring us a
piece of beautiful green.  Yet, I wonder how my fellow Chinese
students could trust someone who doesn't even bother to tell the
CSS how he spends the money donated by the CSS.  I wonder how my
fellow Chinese students could have confidence in someone who didn't
even bother to understand the coverage of the Chinese Student
Protection Act while acting as a CSS representative.  I wonder how
my fellow Chinese students could lean on to someone who is
accustomed to and so skillful in playing the fears of the CSS and
in creating an arbitral wall between the lawmakers and the CSS.
In my view, the CSS need to realize, while watching today's solemn
transfer of power in this great nation, that the principle to which
Dr. Zhao has displayed his contempt so convincingly is one
fundamental belief of the President and the lawmakers of this
nation who are going to have a final say over the implementation of
the Chinese Student Protection Act.  I wonder how the CSS could
afford to trust someone like Dr. Zhao to represent them in
communicating with a President who takes this principle so dearly
into his heart?

     My observation during the protection campaign has convinced
myself that the 4th term IFCSS administration and its new acting
CCSA Chairperson are capable of a more efficient and more
trustworthy representation for the CSS.  And they need the support,
not discouragement, from the CSS.  For the sake of a principle on
which our IFCSS's success depends,  or for the sake of the
beautiful greens if you will, it is time for the CSS to show their
well over-due support to IFCSS, to the new president of IFCSS, to
the new acting Chairperson of CCSA.

     As to Dr. Zhao, if he continues to refuse to learn how to
preserve the constitutional and structural integrity of our hopeful
but still fragile institution, his resignation, as one council
member rightly pointed out, is good for both IFCSS and Dr. Zhao
himself, for he may get rid of IFCSS's control and yet still
contribute to the campaign on behalf of IFCSS should he choose,
while IFCSS could then be out of crisis resulting from Dr. Zhao's
gross insubordinate conducts and concentrate more efficiently on
the Chinese Student Protection Act.

     And, my fellow Chinese students, as you may have already
anticipated, it's time, after the inaugural parties are over, for
the CSS to revisit the Chinese Student Protection Act -- under the
leadership of IFCSS.

     Thanks.



                              Junwei