Dissent Is Not Their Cup of Tea

On Oct. 13, Ma Shaofang, one of the student organizers of the 1989 Tiananmen Square student-led protests and now a businessman in Shenzhen, was invited to "tea" by agents from the Ministry of State Security. They warned him not to attend a writers conference in Beijing during last month's 17th Party Congress. China's authorities are amid a crackdown on dissent, with arrests for "endangering state security" more than doubling over the past year. Ma, who in 1989 was 10th on the state's list of most-wanted dissidents and who was subsequently imprisoned for three years for his role in the demonstrations, published his conversation with the government agents online. Below are excerpts from his account:

State Security agents: You must be busy lately. Is the business doing well?

Ma: Enough of this. I heard from the "relevant departments" that people like us are not allowed to make big bucks. We're just doing enough to make a living.

We haven't bothered your business, have we?

Really? Unless I remember it wrong, you guys once talked to my partner and said [of me], "If we see him dealing with the company, your business will end."

That's because you did something we didn't want you to do. Over the past few years, you didn't make any trouble for us, so we haven't made any trouble for you.

Is that so? You asked me to come over today. Isn't this trouble?

How can you say this is trouble? We're friends, isn't it okay to have a cup of tea together?

It's a pity we're not sitting here as friends. Enough beating around the bush -- let's talk about why I am wanted here today.

Okay. Are you or are you not planning to go to Beijing in the next few days?

I am. I'm flying over tomorrow. Any problem?

But do you know there's a meeting in Beijing as well? Can you not go?