Tiananmen's Bitter Sixteen
Photo taken by Associate Press in 1989
The Tiananmen Square Massacre
June 4, 1989
Background information here.
Today marks the 16th anniversary of the Chinese government's violent suppression of pro-democracy demonstrators at Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989-the culmination of a series of China's military crackdown on demonstrators, beginning with the declaration of martial law against protesters on May 20, 1989. The decision led to bloodshed, loss of lives, and international condemnation and a subsequent embargo on weapon sales to China.
After 16 years, the initial torrent and eventual ripple effect of the massacre have calmed. But the slogan of those who choose not to forget still rings strong: 「以史為鑑，平反六四」(using history as evidence to vindicate June 4).
The slogan reflects the gradual change that has been taking place in pro-democracy advocates' attitude toward the Tiananmen Square Massacre-from reacting to preserving. Let history speak for itself. To do this, teaching current students about the basics of "June 4" is necessary.
Student protesters who were teenagers in 1989 are now adults in or approaching their forties. Two to three generations of students have come and gone since the "June 4." With society no longer comprising solely of people who remember-people who "were there," in Beijing or at demonstrations elsewhere-those who want the legacy of "June 4" to live on increasingly turn to education.「六四事件」至今已16周年，學生對「六四」的認識可能已相當模糊。上水風采中學每年均會向全校學生講解「六四」，今年採用真實歷史材料，如1989年的報章、當年的大學生宣言等，讓學生親身感受當年的「六四事件」，避免學生遺忘重要的歷史大事。
Ming Pao article, June 4, 2005
(My attempt at translation: It has been 16 years since "June 4." The current generation of students' knowledge regarding the incident is probably fuzzy at best. [In the past,] 上水風采 High School would hold a school-wide assembly to explain "June 4" to students. But this year, the school chooses to use primary sources, such as news clips from 1989 and speeches made by Tiananmen Square student protesters, to teach "June 4" to its students. The purpose is to let students experience "June 4" for themselves, to prevent them from ever forgetting such a huge historical event.)
Yet many rituals remain the same. In 1989, my nine-year-old self ended up in Hong Kong's Victoria Park (a central spot for sports, concerts, and demonstrations) as a response to the attack-the first of what is now an annual vigil held in remembrance of the June 4 massacre. In 1999, my 19-year-old self returned once again to Victoria Park for the 10th anniversary vigil. Now, 16 years later, my 24-year-old self will join the 50,000 expected attenders in Victoria Park via the internet.
(Please attend the "June 4" 16th anniversary observance.
6.4 Candlelight Vigil (Saturday) 8 p.m.
Victoria Park football [that's soccer for you American readers] fields.
Live report of the candlelight vigil in Hong Kong here (English info at bottom of page). The goldensong link is USA-based and should work for listeners outside of Hong Kong (not sure if it's available in English though). Remember the time difference!
What does "June 4" mean to people now? Wikipedia's article on the Tiananmen Square protest sums it up well:Among intellectuals in China, the impact of the Tiananmen protests appears to have created something of a generation gap. Intellectuals who were in their 20s at the time of the protests tend to be far less supportive of the Chinese government than younger students who were born after the start of the Deng Xiaoping reforms. Growing up with little memory of Tiananmen and no memory of the Cultural Revolution, but with a full appreciation of the rising prosperity and international influence of China as well as the difficulties that Russia has had since the end of the Cold War, many Chinese no longer consider immediate political liberalization to be wise, preferring to see slow stepwise democratization instead. Rather, many young Chinese, in view of China's rise, are now more concerned with economic development, nationalism, the restoration of China's prestige in international affairs, and perceived governmental weakness on issues like the Political status of Taiwan or the Diaoyu Islands dispute with Japan.
"June 4" is a historic event no matter what. Reactions and opinions change, and draw your own conclusions by all means (since mine is obviously biased). My exhortation is for everyone to be curious, to learn about what happened, and perhaps to create an environment in which history can truly speak for itself.