Our Principles

1. To serve:

Totalitarianism has engendered the destruction of China's current political and socio-cultural landscape. It has also demolished interpersonal relationships that should based on trust. Fear, repression, loneliness, and suspicion – various forms of political depression permeate among Chinese dissidents and ordinary citizens, like influenza. In light of this, the Assembly of Citizens will dedicate itself to rebuilding a platform for communication, mutual assistance, and self-education overseas, promoting interaction and integration with local civil societies. To heal the wounds of political violence and reconstruct mutual trust between people. Such measures will also be an indispensable part of building a Chinese and overseas Chinese civil society in the future. Simultaneously, the Assembly of Citizens is committed to defending the freedom of expression and assembly for every citizen living in free countries and building our overseas communities free from the threats of CCP infiltration.

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2. To explore

Every era has its circumstances, problems, and opportunities. If one unquestioningly engages in resistance with nothing but fervour without fully understanding the current state of social development, failure is inevitable; likewise, clinging to the conventions of the old era will yield nothing. Therefore, the Assembly of Citizens encourages members in various regions to utilize local social resources, explore different models of resistance against totalitarianism, and, in conjunction with historical precedents from multiple countries, forge feasible paths for democratic transition. At the same time, the Assembly of Citizens is open and sincere; to the best of our ability, we will cooperate sincerely with other democratic movement organizations, embrace diverse ideas, inspire new thoughts, and strive towards the common goal of overthrowing tyranny.

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3. To resist

The Assembly of Citizens itself is an agent of resistance. We will utilize all currently feasible non-violent means to defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens, resolutely oppose the encroachment of totalitarianism on open societies, and safeguard overseas Chinese communities from the influence of the CCP's transnational export of authoritarianism. The Assembly of Citizens recognizes that mere fervour alone is insufficient to change the status quo of human rights violations by China's authoritarianism. Therefore, using non-violent resistance movements to create an opening in China's current totalitarian society and initiate China's political transformation is the rational strategy for taking the first step towards a democratic China.

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Our Five Principles

• Be critical, not anti-intellectual.

• Be its own master, not the others.

• Be progressive, not reactionary.

• Be active, not cynical.

• Be explorative, not unexplorative.