Ma Jian

Writer

1953-08-18

Quotes by Ma Jian

• When the written and spoken word is censored, the urban landscape becomes a nation's only physical link to the past.

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• China is completely lacking in self-awareness and as someone who has stepped outside that society, I have a responsibility to write about it as I see it.

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• The Beijing Olympics represent China's grand entrance onto the world stage and confirmation of its new superpower status.

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• My hope is that the Chinese government will come to realise that it is futile to repress free speech, and that contrary to what they believe a regime's strength rests not its suppression of a plurality of opinions and ideas, but in its capacity and willingness to encourage them.

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• I believe that the Tibetans should have the right to control their own destinies and decide for themselves whether they want to be part of China or not. But this view isn't shared by most Chinese, or even the leaders of most Western democracies. As long as the Communist Party is in power, there is little hope for Tibet.

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• I believe that the power of literature is stronger than the power of tyranny.

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• While I was writing 'Stick Out Your Tongue' in Beijing, the police began knocking on my door again. As soon as I finished the book, I moved to Hong Kong so that I could work undisturbed on my next novel.

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• Only when you are aware of the uniqueness of everyone's individual body will you begin to have a sense of your own self-worth.

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• 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.

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