Tiananmen Square massacre: 36 years of silence
It has been 36 years since the massacre at Tiananmen Square, where Chinese troops opened fire on students demanding reforms. Tanks ran over the protesters, and the death toll reached thousands. The authorities still prohibit commemorating these events. What is worth knowing about this tragic event?
On the night of 3rd to 4th June 1989, at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, pro-democracy protests were brutally suppressed. After initial warnings, Chinese troops opened fire on gathered students and intellectuals who had been demanding political freedoms since mid-April. Around midnight, military vehicles and lightweight tanks appeared in the square, and soldiers opened fire on the crowd.
Why did the Tiananmen Square massacre occur?
The protests at Tiananmen Square were an expression of dissatisfaction with the rule of the Communist Party of China. Students, supported by workers, demanded political reforms and democratisation. Their actions were also a tribute to the deceased General Secretary of the CPC, Hu Yaobang, who symbolised opening up to democracy.
Despite the willingness to negotiate from the new General Secretary of the CPC, Zhao Ziyang, the authorities decided on a forceful resolution. At the request of Premier Li Peng, Deng Xiaoping supported the use of the military. The 27th Army, brought in from the provinces, brutally suppressed the protests.
Dramatic events at Tiananmen Square
The demonstrations, initiated by students, quickly gained the support of workers. The protesters demanded reforms and a fight against corruption. In May 1989, a hunger strike began, involving several thousand people. The Chinese authorities, alarmed by the growing number of protesters, brought 250,000 soldiers into the capital. On 4th June 1989, tanks entered Tiananmen Square, and soldiers opened fire on the protesters.
Eyewitness accounts, including a correspondent from the Italian newspaper "La Stampa", describe dramatic moments when, around midnight, military vehicles and lightweight tanks appeared in the square. Initially, the soldiers fired into the air, but at 2:00 AM GMT, the most violent counterattack began, during which fire was opened at the head height of the protesters.
A BBC News correspondent in Beijing reported that the sound of gunfire echoed throughout the city centre, and soldiers fired at everyone. The attack lasted seven hours and ended at dawn, leaving many victims in its wake.
Consequences of the massacre
After the operation concluded, the authorities announced that students had attacked the soldiers. Over 2,500 people were arrested, and several were sentenced to death. Zhao Ziyang was removed from office at the end of June 1989.
According to declassified documents from 2017, as many as 10,000 people died in the massacre. The Chinese authorities claimed there were only 241 victims, including soldiers.
Censorship and repression for commemorating tragic events
After the massacre, the Chinese authorities imposed censorship, and the remains of the deceased were collected and burned. Many participants in the protests were arrested, and some remain in prison to this day. In 2019, despite the ban, Beijing residents gathered at Tiananmen Square to commemorate the victims of the event.
Despite the passage of time, the Chinese authorities, as well as the Hong Kong authorities for the past four years, have prohibited public commemoration of these events. The massacre at Tiananmen Square remains one of the most controversial moments in China's history, and its memory continues to be suppressed by the government.
