“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.” PeopleWantWritingMindHumansSelfHuman BeingsOpinionExpressionFundamentalsPublishFreedom Of Expression Author:Ma Jian
“I will not let a political party tell me how to live, when to die or what to believe in. Our souls are linked to the universe, but we can never see heaven, because our flesh ties us to the earth and the people around us. But when the people around you have lost their will to be free, then earth becomes a hell.” PeopleBelieveSoulEarthPoliticalDiesUniverseLostHeavenPartyHellFleshTiesLinkedPolitical Parties Author:Ma Jian
“When history is erased, people's moral values are also erased.” PeopleValuesMoralMoral Values Author:Ma Jian
“I meant that the Chinese people are not aware of their own entrapment. They believe they live in a free society, but don't realize how much they are being monitored and controlled, how much the information they receive is restricted and warped, until they step out of line, that is, and feel the heavy hand of the state fall on them.” PeopleFeelsBelieveStatesHandsFallRealizingLinesStepsInformationHeavyChineseControlledFree SocietyEntrapment Author:Ma Jian
“I wanted to analyse and understand how the Chinese people could have their lives so crushed by fear.” PeopleWantedChineseCrushed Author:Ma Jian
“Red Dust was about the late 1980s; it was a time of burgeoning hopes and opening up and people searching for new ways.” PeopleWayLateRedOpeningDustNew WaysOpening Up Author:Ma Jian
“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.” PeopleHas BeensStillsTodayForgetMediaEventsInformationDebateChineseOfficialsApologyPersecutedMassacres Author:Ma Jian
