The Assassinations of Li Gongpu and Wen Yiduo (
simplified Chinese: 李闻惨案;
traditional Chinese: 李聞慘案;
lit. 'Tragedies of Li and Wen') happened in
Kuoming,
China on 11 and 16 July, 1946. Li Gongpu was a founder and leader of the
China Democratic League (CDL), which was aiming to find a third way between the
Kuomintang (KMT) and the
Communists (CCP), the two leading political and military forces in the post-war
republican China, while Wen Yiduo was a member of CDL, a professor at
National Tsinghua University and a recognised poet.
The deaths of Li and Wen caused both CDL and CCP to blame KMT, which greatly damaged the image of KMT amongst Chinese intellectuals. The murders also raised US concerns over the safety and free speech of Chinese scholars, putting the US-backed KMT government under pressure.
After the
KMT-CCP alliance won the
Second Sino-Japanese War with the assistance of the Soviet Union and the United States, the two parties began competing with each other politically and militarily over the China's government reform towards a democracy. Mediated by the United States, the KMT-led central government signed
Double Tenth Agreement with CCP, who controlled a wide range of rural China, where both parties agreed to peacefully settle down the political tension between each other via a series of multi-party talks. CDL, who strongly supported the talks, was a party aiming to find a third way between KMT and CCP. Although nominally democratic, the dictatorship of KMT who constantly suppressed dissent in KMT-controlled areas, along with undemocratic police and wartime corruption of KMT, added people's support for CCP.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name (see the
help page). During multi-party talks in
Chongqing, CDL and CCP together held rallies in support of the talks, which led to
attacks on major CDL members by KMT secret police on 10 February 1946, where Li Gongpu was injured.
On 5 May 1946, Li arrived in Kunming from Chongqing, aiming to organise democratic campaign in the city, but his visit was attacked by KMT secret agents who spread rumours that Li was funded by CCP to launch a violent riot in Kunming, whereas CDL had to hold press meeting to reaffirm its non-violent, peaceful principles in fighting for democracy. By the end of June, CDL launched petition for peace in Kunming, aiming to collect over 10,000 signatures of Kunming citizens. However, the KMT-led government ordered Kunming authorities: "CCP plotted to riot, while CDL followed it. At the special moment, proper measures should be made to deal with the members of the rebellious party, whereas necessary. ( Chinese: 中共蓄意叛乱，民盟甘心从乱，际此紧急时期，对于该等奸党分子，于必要时得宜处置。)" Soon, Huo Kuizhang, the command-in-chief of Kunming listed Li Gongpu and Wen Yiduo as top 2 CDL targets for assassinations.
At 9:50 PM 11 July, when he was returning home with his wife, Li was shot by a pistol from behind. The bullet hit him at the right back, causing penetrating wounds that damaged his intestinal tracts and led to heavy haemorrhage. On the way he was sent to hospital, he still managed to condemn the police, saying, "I am ready to die for democracy." At 5:20AM 12 July, Li died, aged 46.
The Assassinations of Li Gongpu and Wen Yiduo (
simplified Chinese: 李闻惨案;
traditional Chinese: 李聞慘案;
lit. 'Tragedies of Li and Wen') happened in
Kuoming,
China on 11 and 16 July, 1946. Li Gongpu was a founder and leader of the
China Democratic League (CDL), which was aiming to find a third way between the
Kuomintang (KMT) and the
Communists (CCP), the two leading political and military forces in the post-war
republican China, while Wen Yiduo was a member of CDL, a professor at
National Tsinghua University and a recognised poet.
The deaths of Li and Wen caused both CDL and CCP to blame KMT, which greatly damaged the image of KMT amongst Chinese intellectuals. The murders also raised US concerns over the safety and free speech of Chinese scholars, putting the US-backed KMT government under pressure.
After the
KMT-CCP alliance won the
Second Sino-Japanese War with the assistance of the Soviet Union and the United States, the two parties began competing with each other politically and militarily over the China's government reform towards a democracy. Mediated by the United States, the KMT-led central government signed
Double Tenth Agreement with CCP, who controlled a wide range of rural China, where both parties agreed to peacefully settle down the political tension between each other via a series of multi-party talks. CDL, who strongly supported the talks, was a party aiming to find a third way between KMT and CCP. Although nominally democratic, the dictatorship of KMT who constantly suppressed dissent in KMT-controlled areas, along with undemocratic police and wartime corruption of KMT, added people's support for CCP.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name (see the
help page). During multi-party talks in
Chongqing, CDL and CCP together held rallies in support of the talks, which led to
attacks on major CDL members by KMT secret police on 10 February 1946, where Li Gongpu was injured.
On 5 May 1946, Li arrived in Kunming from Chongqing, aiming to organise democratic campaign in the city, but his visit was attacked by KMT secret agents who spread rumours that Li was funded by CCP to launch a violent riot in Kunming, whereas CDL had to hold press meeting to reaffirm its non-violent, peaceful principles in fighting for democracy. By the end of June, CDL launched petition for peace in Kunming, aiming to collect over 10,000 signatures of Kunming citizens. However, the KMT-led government ordered Kunming authorities: "CCP plotted to riot, while CDL followed it. At the special moment, proper measures should be made to deal with the members of the rebellious party, whereas necessary. ( Chinese: 中共蓄意叛乱，民盟甘心从乱，际此紧急时期，对于该等奸党分子，于必要时得宜处置。)" Soon, Huo Kuizhang, the command-in-chief of Kunming listed Li Gongpu and Wen Yiduo as top 2 CDL targets for assassinations.
At 9:50 PM 11 July, when he was returning home with his wife, Li was shot by a pistol from behind. The bullet hit him at the right back, causing penetrating wounds that damaged his intestinal tracts and led to heavy haemorrhage. On the way he was sent to hospital, he still managed to condemn the police, saying, "I am ready to die for democracy." At 5:20AM 12 July, Li died, aged 46.