At a Jasmine Revolution protest in Toronto’s City Hall Square, Mr. Ren, a Chinese man born in the 1980s, stood among the crowd and shouted: “Give freedom back to the people.” He said he took to the streets in the hope of helping more people see the reality: “Only when the iron fist of socialism truly comes crashing down on your own head will you realize that your bowl is already full of sand — you simply can’t eat any more.”
Before the pandemic: Choosing to adapt to problems at hand
In an interview with the media, Mr. Ren said that before the pandemic, he had longed for a happy life where his family could live in harmony and stay together. “Although we weren’t wealthy, we believed there was still hope for the future. We seemingly knew about the various problems of Communist Party authoritarianism and the present chaos in society. Since these situations hadn’t affected us personally, we didn’t have a very deep understanding of them, and it wasn’t enough to awaken me. “As a Chinese citizen, standing up for our rights and resisting the system was never our first choice. Everyone was afraid, controlled by that servile mindset that ‘the people must not fight the authorities.’”
In late 2019, Mr. Ren resigned from his job at a real estate company; he and his wife had been running a small business. Their daughter had just been born, and life was relatively stable.
Widespread lockdowns wipe out income
In late January 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak led to widespread lockdowns across China. “That was the beginning of our family’s nightmare.” At the time, the entire family was spending the Lunar New Year in their hometown in Sichuan with their daughter. “When we heard the city was going to be locked down, we drove frantically back to Chongqing through the night on the third day of the New Year.” Checkpoints had already been set up everywhere along the way. After returning to Chongqing, the company’s operations came to a complete halt, and our income was cut off.
“The pandemic caused widespread social paralysis. As ordinary citizens, we believed the government could resolve these issues, and we were all willing to bear this sudden misfortune together. As long as I could survive and my life and property were protected.”
Two million yuan in resettlement housing labor contracts were stolen and threatened
In late August 2021, through a friend’s connections at a labor agency in Shijiazhuang, Mr. Ren and several partners took on a labor subcontract for a resettlement housing construction project in Wangdu County, Baoding, Hebei. This was a key “people-oriented” shantytown renovation project, with funds purportedly designated as special funds. “It was a government project, a people-oriented project. In the unstable environment of the pandemic, I thought at the time that it would at least be secure.”
Before arriving on-site, they knew the project had changed hands several times and that previous construction crews had all fled because they couldn’t get paid. But their partner assured them, “It’s no big deal.” They raised some funds and organized a workforce to begin construction.
“From the time the construction team arrived in late August until work completely stopped in early December, over the course of three months, not a single cent of the workers’ wages or the contract payments had been received. Starting in late September, the client’s representative and I began following up with the Wangdu County Government regarding the workers’ wages and progress payments.”
“While pursuing these channels, we also filed formal petitions with worker representatives through the proper channels: the Wangdu County Petition Bureau, the Baoding City Petition Bureau, and even the Hebei Provincial Petition Bureau.” Ultimately, Jia Wenjie, Secretary of the County Government’s Political and Legal Affairs Committee, stepped in to resolve the matter, settling all workers’ wages before the Spring Festival — 100% paid in full (after initially withholding 10%). “Not a word was said about the construction payments.”
“We advanced the funds to get the project off the ground, only to be completely abandoned.” The matter was pursued for nearly two years. During that time, our representative was even threatened with detention if he “made a fuss again.” Under pressure, the case eventually fell by the wayside.
Mr. Ren’s voice trembled: “I’ve finally seen just how repulsive the evil Communist Party’s true colors are. A national government with absolutely no credibility — blatant fraud, robbery, and intimidation. This country has no future. A few of us lost over 2 million yuan; we’ve practically lost everything. The construction company, the contractor, reportedly recovered only a fraction of the 40 million yuan in performance bonds. The project was eventually taken over by another company with connections, and the units were only fully handed over this year. Those villagers displaced by the demolition have been living in rented housing for seven or eight years, with the government providing only subsidies.”
His 96-year-old grandfather dies after being kept in the dark about COVID-19
“By December 2022, all lockdowns had been lifted. While many rejoiced, for my family, it marked the beginning of yet another nightmare.” During the later stages of the pandemic, Mr. Ren’s household consisted of six people: the couple, their two children, his father-in-law, and his wife’s grandfather.
Around 8 p.m. on January 1, 2023, after enduring the illness at home for nine days, the elderly grandfather began to lose control of his bladder and bowels and could no longer stand up. “We still called 120 and had both of them taken to the nearest hospital.” The hospital was packed, and we waited in the emergency room until 4 a.m. It was only after Mr. Ren insisted forcefully that they were able to get the elderly grandfather admitted first, followed by his father-in-law. At the time, Chongqing had a clear policy: free treatment for COVID-19 patients was in effect until the end of March.
Treatment lasted a full 20 days. When settling the bill upon discharge, Mr. Ren discovered a problem: “My grandfather had to pay out of pocket; after medical insurance reimbursement, the out-of-pocket cost was nearly 10,000 RMB.” Mr. Ren confronted them directly: “My demand is this: whatever policies the government has in place, my grandfather should receive what he’s entitled to. He shouldn’t have to bear additional financial burdens on top of the physical suffering he’s already endured. Do you have any conscience?”
The staff remained silent. Right in front of him, they altered all the medical records, moving COVID-19 to the top of the list, and then called the medical insurance bureau on the spot to process the refund. “Everyone thought the matter ended there, but it didn’t.” The doctor suggested transferring him directly to a private hospital, stating, “Medical intervention is no longer very meaningful.” Half a month later, my grandfather passed away.
In my grandfather’s case, the government, in an effort to reduce its financial burden, subjected us to three instances of deception. This time, the deception cost not only money but also a life. First, after the pandemic restrictions were lifted, the healthcare system collapsed, causing my grandfather’s condition to be delayed and rapidly deteriorate, resulting in the loss of a precious opportunity for early treatment and ultimately leading to treatment failure.
Second, despite a positive PCR test result, they deliberately falsified his medical records, depriving him of his economic right to free medical care. Third, they forced us to discharge him before he met the discharge criteria, accelerating the deterioration of his condition until his death. In this matter, how many ordinary people have been deceived? How many are unaware of their rights? And how many have borne the full burden on behalf of the government?
A complete awakening: A total loss of our freedom and future
“In my circle of acquaintances, there are lawyers, civil servants, business executives, and ordinary working people. I often hear them share stories about the darkness they encounter in their daily lives. In China, it seems that the more ruthless and lawless a person is, the brighter their prospects; conversely, kind and law-abiding people have become lambs led to the slaughter. Corruption and chaos run rampant, and the evil values promoted by the government are deeply ingrained.”
These two personal experiences led Mr. Ren to a complete awakening: “What we have lost is not just our loved ones and money; we have lost justice, freedom, and the chance to move toward a brighter future. Even our descendants cannot escape the Chinese Communist Party’s exploitation, suppression, intimidation, and deception. “If a country and its people are controlled by such a dictatorial and authoritarian government, the people and the nation will have no future whatsoever. Only by overthrowing the Communist Party can we restore freedom and truth to the people!”
When he was owed wages for his construction work, he was so anxious he couldn’t sleep; he considered climbing a crane or staging a sit-in at the gates of Zhongnanhai. “At that time, I really had an impulse — a feeling that I wanted to go down with those people in the government. The gray hair and hair loss are all caused by the mental torment I’ve endured during this period,” he said, joking as he ran his fingers through his hair. After the hospital’s cover-up, the last shred of trust he had in the system vanished. “This time, I’ve been jolted awake by my own experience. The Communist Party is a scourge on society and the root of all problems.”
Awakening of consciousness
“The bowl is full of sand; I can’t bring myself to eat it. Why should I eat it? I’d rather go without and find another bowl of rice to eat. Even if I don’t know what that future bowl of rice will look like, the government is supposed to be the greatest safeguard of the people’s rights. But when the rights of real, living people conflict with the government’s interests, the government becomes the greatest villain in depriving individuals of their rights. At our age, with children of our own, we certainly don’t want our descendants to live in such a despair-inducing environment.”
He began circumventing the Great Firewall, coming into contact with information about the June 4th Massacre and the persecution of Falun Gong. Combining this with his personal experiences, he concluded: “When someone around you faces injustice, bystanders must speak out; otherwise, you’ll be next. The CCP is not China. I will always be Chinese, but I do not endorse this party. It maintains its rule through lies, hatred, intimidation, and exploitation, while good people are weeded out.”
Now living abroad, he has joined the Canadian Committee of the China Democratic Party, using protests to support ordinary Chinese people who have been or are currently being persecuted. What he does most often is share his personal experiences with those willing to engage in an open dialogue, whether inside or outside China. “Justice resides in the hearts of the people. I won’t force you to believe me, but I will make the truth heard.” He firmly believes that the upcoming U.S. “freedom.gov” website will serve as a powerful catalyst, allowing more Chinese people to see the truth.
“Many people in China still say, ‘You can’t change the environment; you just have to adapt.’ But if you fall into a cesspool, you should climb out and find a clean pool of water — not adapt to the culture of the cesspool.” Regarding the future, he is optimistic yet pragmatic: “I believe democracy and freedom will come; this is the way of heaven. Evil cannot overcome good. I can only start small — influencing one person at a time — until eventually, we build a tower from grains of sand.”
Mr. Ren concluded by saying, “I just want to live like a human being. I hope more people will awaken and join together to overthrow the CCP, this scourge, so that our children — and all Chinese people — can live on a land where there is truth, freedom, and dignity.”
Translated by Eva and edited by Maria
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