记者：关永杰

编辑：钟然 校对：程筱筱 翻译：周敏

2026年4月5日清明节之际，中国民主人权联盟在圣荷西市政广场举行悼念活动，悼念在中国历次政治运动与社会政策中逝去的生命，呼吁铭记历史、反思悲剧。

活动发起人李海峰在开场发言中表示，此次集会不仅是纪念个别知名受害者，更重要的是悼念那些“无名无姓、无人记得”的普通人。在中国长期的政治运动中，大量个体悄无声息地消失，其遭遇未被记录，也未被社会承认。他举例提及聂耳、田汉、彭德怀、刘少奇等历史人物在政治运动中的遭遇，同时强调，相比这些广为人知的人物，更值得关注的是数量庞大的普通受害者。

李海峰还讲述了一个来源于《拾纸救夫》的故事：一名教师因课堂言论被判刑，其妻为证明其清白多年捡拾废纸寻找证据，最终在一场火灾中与孩子丧生。这一悲剧被用来象征时代中个体命运的荒诞与残酷。发言中还提到，文化大革命时期大量知识分子与普通民众遭受迫害，包括酷刑、长期监禁以及精神侮辱。一些人因无法承受压力选择自尽，例如老舍在文革期间投湖身亡。

历史上的共产主义国家，在计划经济模式下导致了全球多个国家曾出现大饥荒，饿死数以千万计的人民；为维护其意识形态的绝对统一，历史上多次的政治清洗活动，被冤枉被杀害的人也数以百万计；共产政权长期压制个人自由，破坏道德与社会关系，摧毁历史文化遗产……有观点认为，共产主义在实践中对人类文明几无贡献，但其负面影响造成的历史争议至今仍在继续。

来自山东的发言者惠汝涛回忆了1990年代部分地区计划生育政策的极端执行情况。他称，在部分县域曾出现“百日无孩”运动，对孕妇实施强制引产，甚至导致新生儿死亡等严重人道问题。

何冬玲在发言中指出，悼念历史受难者的意义在于防止悲剧重演。她强调，无论时代如何变化，维护人的基本尊严与自由应成为社会共识。

朱平则从更宏观角度回顾了中国近现代多次政治运动，认为历史中反复出现的动荡与清洗现象值得警惕。他提到包括文化大革命、大跃进以及六四事件等历史事件，呼吁公众持续关注历史记忆。

出生于1989年的发言者张真真分享了个人经历。她表示，自己在中国教育体系中成长，早年对历史教材深信不疑，直到接触互联网后才猛然发现，自己出生的那一年在公共讨论中原来是敏感年份，某些历史事件在公开叙述中被刻意回避或存在明显删改的比比皆是。她认为，信息获取渠道的拓展，使更多年轻人开始重新审视历史，并逐渐形成独立思考能力。同时，她也表达了对仍在中国社会中坚持发声者的敬意。

张勇从意识形态角度回顾了20世纪以来的政治运动，提及从苏联时期的清洗到中国历次运动的影响。他结合个人家族经历，讲述亲人曾在政治清洗中遇害的往事，并指出历史对个体家庭的深远影响。他还提到包括三反五反运动、大清洗及柬埔寨红色高棉时期等历史事件，认为不同国家的经验均值得反思。

本次活动在集体悼念与发言中结束。参与者普遍认为，对历史的记忆不仅是对逝者的尊重，也是对未来的警示。在清明这一传统纪念时刻，活动强调“勿忘历史、避免重演”的核心主题，呼吁社会持续关注历史事件中的个体命运与人权议题。

Mourning the Victims of Communism on Qingming Festival: Do Not Forget the Crimes of Communist Regimes

Journalist: Guan Yongjie

Editor: Zhong Ran Proofreader: Cheng Xiaoxiao Translator: Zhou Min

Abstract: On the occasion of the Qingming Festival, democracy and human rights groups held a memorial activity in San Jose to remember the victims of past political movements. The event emphasized remembering history, reflecting on tragedy, focusing on the fate of ordinary individuals and human rights issues, and calling for the prevention of such tragedies from repeating.

On the occasion of the Qingming Festival, April 5, 2026, the China Democracy & Human Rights Alliance held a memorial activity at the San Jose City Hall Plaza to mourn the lives lost during China’s various historical political movements and social policies, calling for the remembrance of history and reflection on tragedy.

Event organizer Li Haifeng stated in his opening speech that this gathering was not only to commemorate specific well-known victims, but more importantly, to mourn those “nameless and unremembered” ordinary people. Throughout China’s long history of political movements, a vast number of individuals disappeared silently; their encounters were not recorded, nor were they recognized by society. He cited the experiences of historical figures such as Nie Er, Tian Han, Peng Dehuai, and Liu Shaoqi during political movements, while emphasizing that compared to these well-known figures, the massive number of ordinary victims deserves even more attention.

Li Haifeng also recounted a story derived from Picking Up Paper to Save Her Husband: a teacher was sentenced for remarks made in class, and his wife spent years picking up waste paper to find evidence to prove his innocence, eventually perishing with their child in a fire. This tragedy was used to symbolize the absurdity and cruelty of individual fates within that era. The speech also mentioned that during the Cultural Revolution, a large number of intellectuals and ordinary citizens suffered persecution, including torture, long-term imprisonment, and mental humiliation. Some chose to end their own lives because they could not bear the pressure, such as Lao She, who committed suicide by drowning in a lake during the Cultural Revolution.

Historically, communist countries under planned economic models led to several major famines across multiple nations, resulting in the starvation of tens of millions of people. To maintain absolute ideological unity, millions were also framed and killed during numerous political purges throughout history. Communist regimes have long suppressed individual freedom, destroyed moral and social relationships, and demolished historical and cultural heritage. Some viewpoints suggest that communism in practice has contributed almost nothing to human civilization, while the historical controversies caused by its negative impacts continue to this day.

Hui Rutao, a speaker from Shandong, recalled the extreme implementation of family planning policies in certain regions during the 1990s. He claimed that in some counties, “Hundred Days Without Children” campaigns occurred, where forced inductions were performed on pregnant women, leading to serious humanitarian issues including the deaths of newborns.

He Dongling pointed out in her speech that the significance of mourning historical victims lies in preventing tragedies from repeating. She emphasized that regardless of how times change, upholding basic human dignity and freedom should become a social consensus.

Zhu Ping reviewed China’s many modern political movements from a broader perspective, arguing that the recurring phenomena of upheaval and purging in history warrant vigilance. He mentioned historical events including the Cultural Revolution, the Great Leap Forward, and the June Fourth Incident, calling for the public to maintain a continuous focus on historical memory.

Speaker Zhang Zhenzhen, born in 1989, shared her personal experience. She stated that she grew up within the Chinese education system and initially believed the history textbooks without doubt, until she accessed the internet and suddenly discovered that the year she was born was actually a sensitive year in public discussion. She found that certain historical events were deliberately avoided in public narratives or contained obvious deletions and alterations everywhere. She believes that the expansion of channels for obtaining information has allowed more young people to begin re-examining history and gradually form the ability to think independently. At the same time, she expressed her respect for those who still insist on speaking out within Chinese society.

Zhang Yong reviewed political movements since the 20th century from an ideological perspective, mentioning the influence of everything from the purges of the Soviet era to China’s various movements. Combining his own family history, he recounted how a relative was killed during a political purge and pointed out the profound impact of history on individual families. He also mentioned historical events including the Three-Anti and Five-Anti Campaigns, the Great Purge, and the Khmer Rouge period in Cambodia, stating that the experiences of different countries are all worthy of reflection.

The event concluded with collective mourning and speeches. Participants generally agreed that the memory of history is not only respect for the deceased but also a warning for the future. During this traditional moment of remembrance, the Qingming Festival, the event emphasized the core theme of “Do not forget history, avoid repetition,” calling for society to maintain continuous attention to individual fates and human rights issues within historical events.