June Fourth refers to the June 3-4, 1989 government military crackdown that ended the large-scale, peaceful protests in Beijing and other cities that spring and early summer. Despite persistent citizen demands for the truth and an accounting of the bloodshed, the authorities have offered nothing beyond their characterization that the protests were \u201ccounterrevolutionary riots\u201d\u2014a label they later changed to \u201cpolitical disturbance\u201d (\u653f\u6cbb\u98ce\u6ce2)\u2014which \u201cthe Party and state suppressed by using decisive measures.\u201d (\u515a\u548c\u56fd\u5bb6\u91c7\u53d6\u679c\u65ad\u63aa\u65bd\u5e73\u606f). More >
\nChallenges
\nOfficial impunity<\/p>\n
Despite repeated demands by Chinese citizens for an official accounting of the truth of the June Fourth crackdown, the Chinese government has never publicly accounted for its actions with an independent and open investigation, brought to justice those responsible for the killing of unarmed civilians, or compensated the survivors or families of those killed. In fact, it has never made public even the names and the number of people killed or wounded during the crackdown, or of those executed or imprisoned afterwards in connection with the protests. Many believe that several hundred people were killed, but to date, there are no authoritative estimates of the casualties.<\/p>\n
Enforced amnesia<\/p>\n
Since 1989, the Chinese government has censored public discussion of the 1989 Democracy Movement and the June Fourth crackdown, and prohibited public commemorations of June Fourth victims on anniversaries of the crackdown.
\nResponses
\nInternational<\/p>\n
Immediately after June Fourth, many countries expressed shock and consternation. But some, including East Germany, Romania, and Czechoslovakia\u2014communist countries at the time\u2014supported the Chinese government\u2019s action. The United States and European Union imposed an arms embargo that is still in place in 2013. More ><\/p>\n
Mainland China<\/p>\n
Despite on-going suppression, over the years, individuals and groups have taken diverse actions to fight enforced amnesia and get at the truth. Examples include: the 1999 publication in book form\u2014The Tiananmen Papers\u2014of internal government and Party documents compiled by Zhang Liang (pseudonym) that revealed the decision-making process in the CPC\u2019s higher echelons in Spring 1989; Tan Zuoren\u2019s 2007 essay, \u201c1989: Bearing Witness to the Ultimate Beauty\u2014Diary of an Eyewitness from the Square;\u201d and the May 2013 publication of Tiananmen Massacre, a collection of eyewitness accounts of the June Fourth crackdown compiled by journalist Du Bin. More ><\/p>\n
The Tiananmen Mothers<\/p>\n
The Tiananmen Mothers is a group of 156 (as of June 2013) survivors and family members of victims of the June Fourth crackdown (including 33 members who are deceased). In the absence of an official list of June Fourth casualties, the group has spent years searching for the families of those killed, and documented 202 victims of the crackdown. More ><\/p>\n
Hong Kong<\/p>\n
On May 21, 1989, the day after martial law was imposed in Beijing, one million Hong Kongers\u2014roughly one in five people\u2014marched in protest. One hundred days after the June Fourth crackdown, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements organized a candlelight vigil in Victoria Park. More >
\nKEY DATES OF 1989 DEMOCRACY MOVEMENT AND JUNE FOURTH CRACKDOWN
\nApril 15\u201318 Hu Yaobang dies. Protests begin. Students announce seven demands of government.
\nApril 26 People\u2019s Daily publishes editorial: \u201cThe necessity of a clear stand against turmoil,\u201d reflecting Deng Xiaoping\u2019s April 25 declaration.
\nMay 13 Hunger strike begins, more than 3,000 demand the government rescind negative labels of the student movement and engage in dialogue with students.
\nMay 17 More than one million people, including workers, teachers, scholars, journalists, medical workers, and government cadres, march in Beijing.
\nMay 20 Martial law takes effect at 10:00 a.m. People\u2019s Liberation Army (PLA) units are ordered to clear Tiananmen Square and return order to the city.
\nMay 21 More than one million people march in Beijing, defying martial law.
\nJune 3-4 Crackdown begins. PLA troops block off all approaches to Tiananmen Square. Witnesses of the killing of civilians bring news to the BWAF and to the students\u2019 Command Headquarters, urging protestors to leave the\u00a0square.<\/p>\n
From\u00a0http:\/\/www.hrichina.org\/en\/june-fourth-overview<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
June Fourth refers to the June 3-4, 1989 … Continue reading