Yang Jianli

Opposition Leader

USA/China

Jianli Yang is a survivor of the Tiananmen Square massacre and a former political prisoner (2002-2007). He is a leading figure in the Chinese democracy movement and a member of the Forum 2000 Foundation Program Council. He founded Citizen Power Initiatives for China and the Foundation for China in the 21st Century, and is the founder and organizer of the Interethnic/Interfaith Leadership Conferences and the online magazine Yibao. He co-authored the "Democratic Constitution for China" (1993) and co-authored the "Geneva Declaration on Internet Freedom" (2010). A recipient of international awards, including the Harvard Alumni Achievement Award and the UN Watch Human Rights Award, Yang was selected as one of China's 100 Greatest Intellectuals in 2009. He holds a PhD in mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley and a doctorate in political economy from Harvard University.