There is a photograph taken in China that has grabbed the world’s attention. It is one of the most famous photographic works of the past century and remains famous to this day. It shows a young man with a bag in each hand, standing alone in the way of a column of tanks, trying to prevent the Chinese government’s army from killing more people.
The photo and the young man it portrays are known all over the world as “Tank Man.” It has become an iconic image of the 1989 democracy movement and the Chinese authorities’ bloody suppression of it.
Late at night on June 3, 1989, the Chinese authorities ordered fully armed troops to force their way into Beijing and occupy Tiananmen Square. As they advanced, the soldiers were ordered to open fire on unarmed residents of Beijing, causing many injuries and deaths. The events of that night shocked China and the whole world.
On that night, one last voice of resistance was broadcast by one of China’s government-run radio stations, as a newsreader read the following announcement:
“This is Radio Beijing. Please remember June the third, 1989. The most tragic event happened in the Chinese capital, Beijing. Thousands of people, most of them innocent civilians, were killed by fully armed soldiers when they forced their way into the city. Among the killed are our colleagues at Radio Beijing. The soldiers were riding on armored vehicles and used machine guns against thousands of local residents and students who tried to block their way. When the army convoys made a breakthrough, soldiers continued to spray their bullets indiscriminately at crowds in the street. Eyewitnesses say some armored vehicles even crushed footsoldiers who hesitated in front of the resisting civilians. Radio Beijing English Department deeply mourns those [who] died in the tragic incident and appeals to all its listeners to join our protest for the gross violation of human rights and the most barbarous oppression of the people.”
This was broadcast by the Chinese authorities’ own radio station. The script was written by an editor, based on what he had seen on the streets on his way to work.
Not long after the broadcast was made, the editor lost his freedom.
From then on, anything about that movement and that massacre became China’s most sensitive no-go zone.
However, the history of what happened had already been etched in blood on the bronze column of time. No matter how hard the Chinese authorities tried to conceal it, the whole world knew what happened next.
By dawn on June 4, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army had forcefully occupied Tiananmen Square.
The students who had been protesting on the square had no means of defending themselves. They withdrew from the square under the muzzles of the soldiers who escorted them out.
The incident and massacre shocked the world.
As time went by, reports about how the Chinese army opened fire on civilians, causing many injuries and deaths, were confirmed by a stream of film and video recordings, photographs and the recollections of people involved.
The Chinese government never denied that the army had used force that led to the injuries and deaths. However, it said it was “quelling a counterrevolutionary rebellion.”
As the years went by, the Chinese authorities got in the habit of avoiding taboo words, such as “riot” and “suppression,” preferring to euphemistically call the incident “political turbulence.” They still insist that the events were “political turmoil” and a “counterrevolutionary rebellion.”
They have said that “the successful quelling of the turmoil and counterrevolutionary rebellion consolidated China’s socialist base and safeguarded the gains of 10 years of reform and opening up, and it also provided useful experiences and lessons for the [Chinese Communist] Party and the people.”
The Chinese government’s standpoint following the massacre prevented the whole truth from coming to light. The victims are still called “rioters” and “ruffians.” Their souls have not been given comfort.
The wounded, including Fang Zheng (方政), then a student at Beijing Sport University, whose legs were crushed by a tank, have to this day received no compensation or subsidies.
For the past 30 years, the Chinese authorities have been blocking reports and discussions about the massacre, so that many members of the younger generation there know nothing about this historical incident that shocked the world.
Even some who were old enough to remember might have forgotten about it.
One young newspaper staffer even thought that “June 4” marked the date of a mining accident.
However, there are those who were involved in the events and are always seeking truth and justice.
We cannot forget. We must restore the true picture that has been blurred by the butchers. We must clarify the nature of this incident.
We must do so to comfort the souls of the dead, to prevent such brutal massacres from ever happening again, and to stop the Chinese communist regime from doing further harm.
Wang Dan is director of Dialogue China.
Translated by Julian Clegg
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