Members of the Rescue Wang Bingzhang Committee, (RWBC) a Chinese political dissidents organization, and members of New York Association for the Peaceful Unification of China (NYAPUC), a pro-Chinese government organization, clashed in front of the Flushing Library over differing political opinions on March 9. The excitement in mood drove a retired computer science professor, Yizhi Deng of NYAPUC, into a coma; he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The RWBC is an organization which advocates the release of Chinese dissident Wang Bingzhang. Last month, the Chinese authorities detained Bingzhang and sentenced him to life in prison after he returned to China from the United States. The fight happened as the RWBC distributed fliers criticizing the Chinese government and calling for Wang’s rescue in front of the Flushing Library, in the heart of Flushing, one of the largest Chinese areas in New York City.
Meanwhile and at the same place, members and volunteers of the NYAPUC, which advocates the peaceful unification of mainland China and Taiwan, staffed a donation drive for the victims of a recent earthquake in Xinjiang Province.
NYAPUC members didn’t agree with the RWBC’s characterization of Wang as a “hero.” Mr. Deng and others of the NYAPUC began to call Wang “scum” and an embarrassment to the Chinese people. RWBC members, including Wei Ling, sister of the internationally known Chinese dissident Wei Jingsheng, argued back. More and more people got involved in the argument, which eventually escalated into a physical fight.
Mr. Deng and Shenqi Fu from the RWBC were the fiercest pair during the argument. People from the two sides tried to divide the two, but they kept arguing from different sides of a wall of people, until their own groups carried them away. Suddenly, Mr. Deng, who was 67, fainted in front of the donation collection desk and stirred an uproar among the more than 100 spectators. Some shouted, “Catch the murderer! Don’t let him run away!”
Mr. Fu, who was referred to as “the murderer,” suddenly ran south along Main Street. Police, who arrived after receiving a report of the fight helped catch Mr. Fu. Five minutes later, Mr. Fu returned to the scene.
Mrs. Li, who witnessed the whole incident, told the police that Mr. Fu should be held responsible for Mr. Deng’s death. Mrs. Li, who is a nurse, said Mr. Deng continued his work after being brought back to his donation desk by fellow NYAPUC members when he suddenly lost consciousness and fell backwards.
Mr. Deng’s wife, Lingling Ye, was also volunteering for the fundraising drive. Seeing her husband faint in front of her, Ms. Ye’s heart broke. She said her husband had had high blood pressure. An ambulance arrived seven to eight minutes after he fainted, after Mr. Deng’s face went totally gray.
According to friends, Mr. Deng was a very patriotic Taiwanese immigrant. The President of the NYAPUC, C. H. Hua announced his condolences about Mr. Deng’s death and vowed a decent funeral.
