Tiananmen Massacre: 35 Years On
On the 35th anniversary of Beijing’s Tiananmen Massacre, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te repeats his stand on democracy and the threat from China. He wrote in a Facebook post, “The memory of June 4th will not disappear in the torrent of history. We will continue to work hard to make this historical memory last forever.” He also added, “This reminds us that democracy and freedom do not come easily. And, we must respond to authoritarianism with freedom”
China calls Lai a separatist. As a result, in May, China carried out war games around Taiwan. The military exercises were “punishment” for Lai’s separatism, the government said. They conducted the drills in the Taiwan Strait. And in areas around the islands of Kinmen, Matsu, Wuqiu, and Dongyin.
The events in and around the central Beijing square on June 4, 1989 are a taboo topic in China. As a result, any chatter is almost completely censored. 35 years ago, Chinese troops opened fire to end the student-led pro-democracy demonstrations. After weeks of protests in the square, troops backed by tanks crushed the demonstrations. That prompted global condemnation that continues till date. The footage of a lone protester standing in front of a line of tanks is one of the most powerful symbols of the 20th century. The ruling Communist Party has never released the number of those killed. Rights groups and witnesses say the figure could run into thousands.
Actually, public commemorations only take place in overseas cities to mark the Tiananmen massacre: 35 years on. In fact, senior leaders and Chinese exiles use the anniversary to criticise the Communist Party. And urge it to face up to what it did. Across the world, demonstrations take place in the run-up to the 35th anniversary. Also protests build up in crescendo to peak on the 4th of June.
Earlier in Beijing, the official website for the Tiananmen Tower overlooking the square posted a notice. It said it would be closed for the entire day on the 4th of June.
(With Reuters Inputs)
