Peking Posters Appeal to Deng, Assail Media

Illegal wallposters reappeared Sunday at Peking University urging Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping to respond to appeals for democracy and asking students to burn the Peking Daily newspaper for inaccurate reporting.

Witnesses said there were at least three posters at the elite college, including a four-page open letter to Deng. Officials had ripped down all but one poster Saturday.

“We have to write to you (Deng) because there are no other channels of expression left. Please answer us,” said an open letter signed by final-year mathematics student Guo Jichuan.

The letter said the students will give Deng 10 days to reply before deciding their next course of action.

The student said the official media had slanted news of last week’s demonstrations. About 1,000 students marched nine miles through the snow to Tian An Men Square on Friday to secure the release of at least 24 students held after a protest there the day before.

All Were Freed

All were subsequently freed, and no one taking part in the marches is known to have been punished, students said.

A monthlong series of nationwide student demonstrations for democracy and press freedom on at least 12 campuses across China has been met by an official media campaign urging students to stay off the streets and blaming the unrest on small numbers of troublemakers.

Deng and other members of the ruling Politburo have not made public their opinions on the marches, leading to speculation that Communist Party leaders are split.

Guo’s letter, read eagerly by students, said police had been too rough with students Thursday.

“Our demonstrations were all proper. . . ,” it said. “They are over now, but we will have marched 7 1/2 hours in vain if our appeals for democracy are slanted by newspapers.

“Newspapers should report, not give opinions. There are too many opinions and too much inaccurate reporting, which has caused Peking citizens to oppose students,” the letter said.

Students Back Reforms

Guo said he sent one letter to Deng and another to the Communist Party organ People’s Daily and pasted up the third at the university. The letter wished Deng good health and said students support reforms he has instigated.

Alongside it were two unsigned posters, one of which asked students to attend a public burning of copies of the Peking Daily this afternoon because of its “unfair reporting” of the protests. The poster said the news accounts are separating students from the masses.