20 Ma Jian Quotes for You to Enjoy

Ma Jian

Chinese Writer

Born: Aug 18, 1953

Being Believe Freedom Own People You

Related authors: Ayn Rand Dr. Seuss H. L. Mencken Napoleon Hill Niccolo Machiavelli Thomas Mann Thomas Paine Voltaire

To become self-aware, people must be allowed to hear a plurality of opinions and then make up their own minds. They must be allowed to say, write and publish whatever they want. Freedom of expression is the most basic, but fundamental, right. Without it, human beings are reduced to automatons. Ma Jian

Freedom People Become Whatever Own Publish Minds Say Must Plurality Write Allowed Freedom Of Expression Most Make Make Up Without Opinions Reduced Hear Up Human Want Human Beings Then Beings Expression Fundamental Fundamental Right Right Basic

When history is erased, people's moral values are also erased. Ma Jian

History People Values Moral Moral Values Also Erased

The Chinese people have been forced to forget the Tiananmen massacre. There has been no public debate about the event, no official apology. The media aren't allowed to mention it. Still today people are being persecuted and imprisoned for disseminating information about it. Ma Jian

Today People Debate Has-Been About Mention Allowed Massacre Forced Still Been Persecuted Imprisoned Forget Official Being Information Chinese Public Chinese People Apology Media Event

I believe that the Tibetans should have the right to control their own destinies and decide for themselves whether they want to be part of China or not. But this view isn't shared by most Chinese, or even the leaders of most Western democracies. As long as the Communist Party is in power, there is little hope for Tibet. Ma Jian

Hope Democracy Long Power Party Own Control Believe Destinies Part Shared Leaders Tibet Most Western Want Decide Whether China Chinese Little Themselves Should Communist View Communist Party Even Right

After the Tiananmen Massacre, I felt compelled not only to continue writing but to actively resist the restrictions placed on freedom of speech. I set up the publishing company in Hong Kong, with offices in Shenzhen in mainland China, and managed to publish works of fiction, philosophy, and politics by unapproved authors. Ma Jian

Politics Freedom Writing Freedom Of Speech Publish Hong Kong Philosophy Only Restrictions Massacre Felt Kong Continue Up Offices Authors Fiction After China Placed Works Company Actively Compelled Publishing Publishing Company Resist Set Speech

In my 20s, when I was a photojournalist in Beijing. I joined an underground art group and put on clandestine exhibitions of my paintings. Ma Jian

Art Group Joined Put Underground Exhibitions Beijing Paintings

I left Beijing in 1987, shortly before my books were banned there, but have returned continually. Ma Jian

Before Books Returned Continually Were Left Beijing Banned

Beijing Coma took me 10 years to finish. Ma Jian

Me Took Finish Years Beijing

It is vitally important for me, both personally and for my writing, to be able to return to China freely, so being barred entry has caused me deep concern and distress. Ma Jian

Me Writing Important Distress Able Vitally Both Entry Freely Concern Return Caused Being China Personally Barred Deep

My hope is that the Chinese government will come to realise that it is futile to repress free speech, and that contrary to what they believe a regime's strength rests not its suppression of a plurality of opinions and ideas, but in its capacity and willingness to encourage them. Ma Jian

Hope Government Strength Will Free Free Speech Believe Futile Willingness Plurality Rests Come Ideas Suppression Opinions Encourage Contrary Repress Realise Regime Chinese Chinese Government Them Capacity Speech

I am completely in favour of dialogue and engagement. But it must be a true, open dialogue. Ma Jian

Must Favour Open True Am Dialogue Engagement

'Three Kingdoms' gives you a panoply of different routes; everyone can find their own path. It shows that sometimes the route to fulfilment or success is not the obvious one. You must take twists and turns to achieve a goal. Ma Jian

Success You Sometimes Path Achieve Three Own Everyone Must Find Kingdoms Gives Take Obvious Goal Different Success Is Turns Fulfilment Shows Route Routes Twists

The Chinese have made a faustian pact with the government, agreeing to forsake demands for political and intellectual freedom in exchange for more material comfort. They live prosperous lives in which any expression of pain is forbidden. Ma Jian

When people are poor, they find ways of making things taste like fish. Ma Jian

People Ways Find Like Making Fish Taste Poor Things

I have to live within my memories, within my private universe, and continually return to China, the land where my thoughts are locked. This is a very painful kind of existence, this feeling of nowhereness. Ma Jian

Thoughts Memories Feeling Live Universe Locked Kind Return Within Continually Private Existence Very Where China Land Painful

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