Ge Yang (1916–)

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Ge Yang (1916–)

Chinese journalist. Born 1916 in China; children: 3 sons; 2 daughters (who have joined her in US).

Co-founder and chief editor of New Observer, joined Communist Party and worked for the New China News Agency; founded the New Observer, China's leading liberal journal; branded a "Rightist" (counter-revolutionary) because she felt the Communist Party was not democratic, was exiled to a work camp in the countryside (1957) and forced to do hard labor for 10 years; sent to Inner Mongolia for another 10 years, 22 years all told; was rehabilitated (1970s); relaunched the New Observer (1980s); at the height of the democracy movement, left China for conference in US on the May Fourth Movement (1989); was to return May 20, the day authorities declared martial law in Beijing; remained in exile in US after the New Observer was blamed for inciting the student protests and closed down.

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