Failure of the kidneys Shih Kien/Death Cause Shih died Wednesday afternoon in a Hong Kong hospital with his children at his side, according to the Ming Pao Daily News. According to the Apple Daily newspaper, the cause was renal failure. He was 66. Shih is one of China's best-known political dissidents and was one of the founders of the New Society Movement in 1978. The movement called for greater freedom and democracy for China and was committed to nonviolence. It attracted many students from universities across the country who wanted to push for change. In 1989, after years of campaigning by the movement, elections were held for the first time in China's history. But they were not free and fair, and most observers believe that the New Society Movement was banned shortly thereafter. Though he was a key figure in starting the movement, Shih did not participate in any other campaigns after this one. Instead, he focused on setting up a regular university course that would teach politics and philosophy through independent study groups. The course became very popular among intellectuals in China who wanted to learn more about democracy. In 1999, Shih was sentenced to death after being convicted of treason during the Cultural Revolution. His sentence was later reduced to life imprisonment.