Yang Jun–the Man in the Middle of the "Metal Storm"(Part 2)

By Jennifer Zeng |Special to The Epoch Times | Dec 04, 2006

[ Jennifer's Note:This is Part 2 of Yang Jun–the Man in the Middle of the "Metal Storm"The first article details the early life of Yang, who was a student leader in the Tiananmen Square demonstrations in 1989, and who was asked by rthe CCP to obtain advanced weapons technology for China. ]

Coming Out Again

At that time, Australia had tens of thousands of Chinese students, all of whom faced the problem of residency rights, which at that time was called the "status" issue. Because of the June 4th massacre, the Australian government, like governments in other Western countries, decided to give Chinese students residency rights.

But this special right only extended to people who arrived in Australia prior to the June 4th Tiananmen Square massacre and for those people who arrived after that, their refugee application was only dealt with on a case-by-case basis. If the application was rejected, the applicants would have to be deported. There was a student from Shanghai who was forcibly sent back; while many people were detained at a detention center.

Quickly a sense of fear spread among the Chinese students, to the extent that the year 1992 was called "the darkest year for the overseas Chinese students" in Australia.

At that time, someone came to Yang Jun. "This is a critical moment, Yang Jun, and you must come out one more time to lead the people out of this difficult situation."

Yang Jun said, "I am someone who cannot take encouraging words without being moved. Those few words excited me, and I quit my job and came out. We organized the "Human Rights Association for Chinese Students" and over 3,000 people joined up. Each person paid over AU$300 dollars and in a week we had over AU$1,000,000 dollars. We used this money to start a collective lawsuit against the immigration office in order to gain residency rights.

With the support of his girlfriend, Yang Jun stayed a couple of months at a time in Canberra, lobbying officials, hiring top lawyers, and suing the Australian Government Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. His bold ideas and actions aroused a lot of attention at the time. Chinese media followed the event almost on a daily basis.

November 1, 1993 was an extremely important day for thousands of Chinese students in Australia. On that day, the Australian government issues what is referred to as the "11.1" bill, which granted almost all Chinese students permanent residency in two groups.

It is reported that about 40,000 Chinese students were able to stay in Australia because of the June 4th massacre. These people later gradually brought their family members to Australia, augmenting the total number to 200,000-30,0000. This accounts for about half of all Chinese now living in Australia.

A Scandal That Later was Exonerated

For most Chinese students that was a day of rejoicing and night-long parties. Yang Jun, who led people out of the difficult situation, however, was not in the mood to celebrate.

Perhaps his personality determined his "fate": He not only was brought into a bribery scandal, some people also spread rumors that he was seen gambling on the slot machines. Media reports said that Yang Jun admitted to using $20,000 dollars to bribe the Labor Party Member of Parliament Andrew Theophanous.

The Westerners reacted strongly to the scandal involving the state official, while the Chinese students also had their own concern: Did Yang Jun embezzle the money we donated?

Years later, when speaking about this past experience, Yang Jun is still very emotional, "No matter what people say about Dr. Andrew, we Chinese people should thank him! Without him there would not be hundreds of thousands of Chinese residing safe in Australia. The Chinese people must have grown up drinking wolves' milk—because they bite the person who helped them! Politics are really dirty, and Western politics is the same.

"To remove him, Andrew's political enemies invited a reporter named A-Zhong to interview me. His report came out on Friday, but a day before, the report was already translated into English and placed on the desk of all parliament members! Was this a plot or not? The so-called ''Yang Jun's admission of bribery'' was totally fabricated and justice was served when in 1996 the Australian court pronounced that the bribery incident did not happen."

Yang Jun said in a tired voice, "To tell you the truth, I once swore I would never accept media interviews again. I do not trust those reporters. When they slander you, they blow it up to let the whole world know; but when your name is cleared, they say nothing. At the time only one Chinese newspaper reported the court ruling that the bribery allegation did not stand."

Carrying with him many injuries, Yang Jun spent money to post a declaration on the newspaper: "Forever withdraw from politics, from democratic movement, from "the mud"…

Of course, Yang Jun had way passed the age of 35 by this time, and had lost the opportunity to become a professional musician.

No Regrets

"Do you regret?"

To this question Yang Jun answered without hesitation, "No regrets. I did what a human being should do. Under that circumstances (of the June 4th massacre), if a person lacks a basic conscience and thinks only about himself, would he still be called a human being? I am no saint, but since I have come to this world, I should bring something good to others, rather than merely taking for myself."

Although he does not care about what others say about him, Yang Jun said he is still deeply moved when others remember him. Once he was traveling in a car, another car drove him off the road and stopped. After confirming he is Yang Jun, the driver, a young man, bowed to him three times and thanked him on behalf of himself and his parents. "Without your effort at that time, we could not possibly stay in Australia." The young man was about to graduate from college.

Yang Jun said, "I was very moved. I said you should not thank me, but should thank those citizens and students who died (during the June 4th massacre). Without their blood, we could not have stayed in Australia."

Talking about those who died, Yang Jun became emotional again, "I really wish those Chinese who have benefited from the June 4th massacre would have some conscience. We should not forget so easily, and should not help the CCP in making a sham image of peace in the so-called cultural show at the time of June 4th memorial."

United Front Works Department

After suppressing Falun Gong in 1999, the Chinese Communist Party made an attempt to invite Yang Jun back into the country. Yang was approached by Zhou Wenzhong, Australia's Chinese Ambassador, who informed Yang that he could make arrangements for him to return to his homeland. Yang Jun said, "I am a very traditional Chinese person, but in the past the CCP did not allow me to go back to China and they didn't even renew my passport when it was expired. I got an Australian citizenship at the end of 1996. Other people consider obtaining an Australian passport a hard-won achievement, but I wasn't very happy. I cried so hard that my eyes turned red. I have a home but was unable to go back. The pain was engraved on my heart."

On November 2, 1999, Yang Jun obtained a special visa offer effective only within seven days which allowed him to return to China. For the next few years Jun has passed in and out of the country.

There seem many business opportunities in China and Yang Jun tried his hand at several. However, success was difficult as he found every move he was monitored by the CCP. The CCP carefully restricted his business ventures bringing Yang to the point of desperation and that was when they asked him to make the purchase of the "Metal Storm" weapon.

The CCP also asked him to buy and sell weapons for the CCP. Public security even asked him to be a spy to collect information on overseas Falun Gong and democratic organization activities.

But Yang was not interested in participating in these seedy affairs. Deeply upset by years of business failure, Yang's health began to decline. Yang suffered from high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and other diseases. Heartbroken by what has become the destruction of mainland China, Yang has observed official corruption running rampant across the country.

To alleviate his suffering Yang Jun turned to temples for spiritual support. However, he soon found that these so-called spiritual teachers are really only interested in his money. In China, poor believers are treated with little respect.

"My Grandma believed in Buddhism during her life, but now it has ended up like this," Yang said he felt that he had nowhere to turn to. Fundamental questions arose in his heart "I''''''''ve lived for so many years, what on earth am I doing here? What am I supposed to find? What on earth is the purpose of people coming to this world?" Yang Jun said, "Looking everywhere for comfort I now felt as if I had nowhere to go."

After practicing Falun Gong, Yang Jun''''s health was restored. He lost over 10 kilos, and regained his normal physique. (The Epoch Times)

Falun Gong

Then Yang Jun discovered Falun Gong. Others had already introduced it to him years before, but he was too busy making money at that time and didn't pay attention to what they were saying.

During this interview, Yang Jun could not seem to mention Falun Gong without crying. "I cannot use any language to express my appreciation to Falun Gong. Even life and death cannot explain it clearly. I've sought a path to "return to my true self" for so many years. My relatives and friends always said to me, "How come you are like a kid who can never grow up?" Maybe it was because I am in touch with my true nature.

Finally I found Falun Dafa, Soon after starting the practice, I resumed good health, I dropped many kilos and I returned to my healthy weight. I have never felt so much peace in my heart, and I am proud to talk about Falun Dafa. My wisdom and enlightenment has opened up and I can see many situations differently than before. I appreciate those who hurt me and gave me difficulty in the past. Thru this I can see my own wrong doings and now I can appreciate their giving me the opportunity to return to my true self."

For Yang Jun, practicing Falun Gong brought earth-shaking changes to his life and his way of thinking, that, at first glance, may not be apparent to others. What they can see, however, is that Yang, who had "disappeared" from the community for years, became involved again.

He has participated in Nine Commentaries forums and rallies to support quitting the CCP. He was involved in establishing the Falun Gong Celestial Marching Band, and participated in preparation for the New Tang Dynasty Television's Global Chinese New Year Spectacular, etc. He even distributes the Nine Commentaries outside the Chinese Consulate once a week.

He gave up the "Metal Storm" deal offered by CCP, despite its promise of making over US$2 million in income. For Yang Jun, this was very easy to do. Falun Gong has given him truthfulness and morality and helped to become a good person again.

In 1994 Yang Jun performed in Sydney as part of the largest Chinese symphony orchestra in Australia, a project that Yang and other Australian musicians helped establish. (Photo provided by Yang Jun）

''I am Truly a Musician Now''

In practicing Falun Gong, Yang's love for music returned. After the Tiananmen Massacre on June 4th, he had already given up on music—having not played his clarinet for over ten years. With his instrument he is now able to convey what words cannot express.

Yang Jun said, "Art speaks of truth, compassion and beauty, and we artists emphasize Truth, Compassion, and Tolerance. A true artist should have a pure mind so that he or she can produce the best music, or the best art, to touch the human heart. If an artist has been polluted by the morally degenerated society that is overflowing with human desires, how can your art possibly be good?"

Yang Jun and younger members of the Celestial Marching Band play the Falun Gong composition "Pu Du." (The Epoch Times)

"This May, the Celestial Marching Band (formed only 3 months ago), gave a performance in Sydney that revealed Falun Gong practitioners' understanding of music. As I was marching in the parade, I noticed that the audience on both sides had their eyes wide open. They were watching us in amazement, stunned to see such a big band—the Chinese communities had never had such a big marching band before. I felt solemn. Thankful for having come back to music again, I performed the entire concert in tears."

Yang disclosed that he is now actively practicing, hoping for the day that he will be able to play a solo on stage. "I believe I will be able to perform a solo in six months to a year. I feel I am a genuine musician now, as my spirit has been liberated".