Wester Yang
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Wester Yang | |
|---|---|
杨若晖 | |
 Yang speaking during a White Paper protest in Toronto | |
| Other names | Ruohui Yang; Yang Ruohui |
| Education | Humber College |
| Occupation | Democracy activist |
| Known for | Founder of the Assembly of Citizens |
Wester Yang (simplified Chinese: 杨若晖; traditional Chinese: 楊若暉; pinyin: Yáng Ruòhuī), also known as Ruohui Yang, is a Chinese democracy activist based in Canada. He founded the Assembly of Citizens, a Toronto-based organization of Chinese students and young people that advocates democracy and human rights in China.[1] His activism has included organizing demonstrations associated with the White Paper protests, campaigning against alleged transnational repression of Chinese dissidents, and testifying before the United States Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC).[2][3]
Early life and political development
[edit]Yang was raised in mainland China. He moved to Canada in 2015 at the age of 15 to study abroad.[4] He later studied in the paralegal program at Humber College.[5]
Yang has described himself as having been a nationalist supporter of the Chinese government while growing up. He said that after leaving China he gained access to information censored there, including accounts of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre, and gradually became an opponent of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).[1][4] According to his congressional testimony, the 2019–2020 Hong Kong protests strengthened his decision to become involved in the Chinese democracy movement, and he joined solidarity activities with Hong Kong activists in Toronto.[5]
Activism
[edit]Assembly of Citizens and the White Paper protests
[edit]In February 2020, following the death of Chinese physician and COVID-19 whistleblower Li Wenliang, Yang and several others organized a memorial and protest in downtown Toronto. The event brought together young people from mainland China and led Yang and other participants to form the Assembly of Citizens.[6][2] The group was formally registered as a Canadian nonprofit organization in 2022. Yang served as its first president and subsequently as vice-president and external affairs officer.[7]
After the Beijing Sitong Bridge protest in October 2022, Yang helped University of Toronto students prepare for an anti-CCP campus demonstration, including advising participants about protecting their identities and responding to possible confrontations.[2] During the White Paper protests later that year, he helped organize demonstrations in Toronto and coordinate solidarity actions in several Canadian cities.[8][6] In December 2022, Global News interviewed Yang about alleged Chinese foreign interference and threats against dissidents. He called on the Canadian government to give greater protection to Chinese diaspora communities.[9]
Yang continued to organize and participate in events commemorating Li Wenliang, the White Paper protests and the Tiananmen crackdown. He has also taken part in events with Hong Kong, Tibetan, Uyghur and Taiwanese activists.[7] By 2024, he was also an assistant editor of the pro-democracy periodical China Spring and an organizing director of the Canadian branch of the Federation for a Democratic China.[7][5]
Congressional testimony and transnational repression
[edit]On 4 June 2024, Yang testified at a CECC hearing in Washington, D.C., marking the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown. He discussed his campus activism in Canada and described harassment directed at Chinese democracy activists, including insults, death threats and pressure on relatives in China.[3][1] CBC News later reported that Yang initially concealed his identity at demonstrations by wearing disguises, but eventually began appearing publicly and subsequently received threatening and abusive messages online. The Chinese embassy in Canada denied allegations that the Chinese government or Chinese student associations were used to harass overseas students and their families, calling the allegations defamatory.[4]
In 2024, Yang travelled to Taiwan to observe its presidential election and participated in discussions with activists from Taiwan and Hong Kong about democratic movements.[6][7] In July 2025, while serving as the Assembly of Citizens' public affairs director, he attended a post-election event in Taipei and called on Taiwanese people to support human rights and democratic change in China.[10]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Kaidi (6 June 2024). "Interview: Former 'little pink' supporter of Beijing on what made him change". Radio Free Asia. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 Hager, Mike (17 November 2022). "Chinese students in Canada mobilize covertly to deliver anti-Xi message". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
- 1 2 "Tiananmen at 35—The Ongoing Struggle for Human Rights and Democracy in China". Congressional-Executive Commission on China. 4 June 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 Desson, Craig; Murray, Nick (28 September 2024). "Chinese students in Canada say they've been targeted by Beijing's campaign of fear". CBC News. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Tiananmen at 35: The Ongoing Struggle for Human Rights and Democracy in China" (PDF). United States Government Publishing Office. 4 June 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 "Interview: Young Activist Leaders and HRIC's Zhou Fengsuo Share First-Hand Accounts of the White Paper Movement". Human Rights in China. 12 March 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Young Activists from Taiwan, Hong Kong and China in Conversation". New School for Democracy. 2 May 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
- ↑ Liu, Fei (11 December 2022). 「白纸运动」不停歇 加拿大五城市联动声援 [White Paper Movement continues: Five Canadian cities hold coordinated solidarity rallies]. Radio Free Asia (in Chinese). Retrieved 9 September 2026.
- ↑ Lee, Heidi (6 December 2022). "China's COVID protests show need to protect diaspora communities: advocates". Global News. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
- ↑ "Activist urges deep understanding of authoritarian China". Taipei Times. 29 July 2025. Retrieved 9 September 2026.
External links
[edit]- Written testimony to the Congressional-Executive Commission on China
- Assembly of Citizens official website