Commemorating June 4th: The Massacre at Tiananmen Square

Jun 04, 2024

The 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre is a significant and tragic event in modern Chinese history. It began as a peaceful student-led demonstration and ended with a brutal military crackdown. The scale of violence used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) against unarmed civilians was shocking and unprecedented in modern Chinese history.

Reviewing the Full Course of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre

On April 15, 1989, the death of former CCP General Secretary Hu Yaobang sparked spontaneous public mourning, particularly among students who respected him for his liberal reforms.

From April 17 to 22, 1989, students gathered at Tiananmen Square to mourn Hu Yaobang and call for political reforms, including freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and an end to government corruption. The student protests gained widespread support from intellectuals, workers, and other citizens.

On April 26, 1989, the government published an editorial in the People’s Daily labeling the protests as “turmoil,” which angered the students and further fueled the movement.

On May 4, 1989, tens of thousands of students marched to commemorate the May Fourth Movement and further demand reforms.

On May 13, 1989, students began a hunger strike at Tiananmen Square, gaining widespread public sympathy and increasing pressure on the government to negotiate.

On May 19, 1989, Premier Li Peng declared martial law in parts of Beijing, indicating the government’s intention to use force to end the protests. The military began moving into Beijing, but initial attempts to enter the city were blocked by citizens.

On the night of June 3 into the early morning of June 4, 1989, the government ordered the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to clear the square. Armed soldiers and tanks entered Beijing. The troops opened fire on unarmed protesters and bystanders. The killing was brutal, with tanks crushing people on the streets, resulting in a large number of casualties. Estimates of the death toll range from hundreds to thousands. In addition to those directly killed, many were severely beaten and injured during the crackdown. Thousands were arrested and subjected to harsh treatment during detention.

By the morning of June 4, 1989, the PLA had cleared Tiananmen Square.

The Indelible Bloody Mark

Due to the CCP government’s refusal to release official data and the widespread censorship of the event, the exact death toll of the Tiananmen Square Massacre remains unknown. The Chinese Red Cross initially reported about 2,600 deaths but later retracted the statement under government pressure. Amnesty International and other organizations estimate the death toll to be in the thousands. Testimonies from journalists, diplomats, and participants suggest that the death toll could range from hundreds to thousands. The scale of violence used by the CCP against unarmed civilians was shocking and unprecedented in modern Chinese history.

The families of those killed mourn privately as public mourning is not allowed. Many of the victims’ parents and relatives, later known as the “Tiananmen Mothers,” continue to seek justice and accountability despite ongoing harassment from authorities.

The massacre led to a significant tightening of political control by the CCP, with reformist leaders sympathetic to the protesters, like Zhao Ziyang, being purged from the Party and placed under house arrest, while hardliners consolidated power.

Thousands of protest participants and supporters were arrested. Key student leaders were imprisoned or fled abroad. After the protests, thousands more were arrested, and many activists, students, and intellectuals were imprisoned or sent to re-education camps. The crackdown was not limited to Beijing; it affected various regions, suppressing political activities nationwide.

The CCP government has strictly censored any mention of the event, and any commemoration or discussion of the massacre is suppressed. The term “June 4th” has become a sensitive and banned topic in mainland China.

Nevertheless, the record of the massacre cannot be erased, and the memory of the massacre will not be forgotten.

International Reaction

The international community widely condemned the actions of the Chinese government. Governments, human rights organizations, and the public expressed outrage at the CCP’s use of lethal force against peaceful demonstrators. In response to the massacre, many countries imposed economic sanctions and arms embargoes on China, a clear condemnation of the CCP government’s actions. Various organizations and countries also provided asylum to Chinese people fleeing persecution.

However, over time, many countries resumed normal diplomatic and economic trade relations with China. China’s economy, long repressed by the CCP, was unleashed and experienced rapid growth, becoming a cornerstone of its power consolidation and elevation of international status.

Nevertheless, the actions of the CCP continue to be condemned internationally.

Conclusion

The 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre is a critical turning point in Chinese history, having profound effects on China and its people. This shift marked the consolidation of power by hardliners within the CCP and set a precedent for brutally suppressing political dissent with extreme measures post-Cultural Revolution, reinforcing authoritarian governance. This shift meant that China lost an opportunity to embark on political civilization, and the Chinese people once again fell into the darkness of the CCP’s tyrannical rule.

– This text was translated by AI. –