Today is the 15th anniversary, as many of you may know, of the Tiananmen pro-democracy movement, and of their subsequent harsh suppression by the Army.
I remember being in the square a few years ago, but never really thinking about how many people were there and died. The imposing feeling was just an awe of how large the square is and imagining how many millions could fit on that ground.
Some of you might have noticed that I might not be condemning enough of the CCP in some posts. I have just tried to acknowledge that some good was done, and there were many in the party who strived for a better China for the people, and who were not swayed by political, economic or other gain. (Zhao Ziyang being one of them perhaps for standing up against the decision to use the Army).
However, here is one of those events which I must condemn. How ironic is it that the People’s Liberation Army is sent in to disrupt a otherwise peaceful protest, and start shooting and killing hundreds, if not more, of the Chinese people they have pledged to protect. Those leaders claim that this was done for the sake of China as a whole, but that is their claim only.
I recall these events in 1989 as a student, and what a powerful image of the lone man standing up to those tanks were. It really shook me. Most Chinese these days just want to make a living and prosper, and find jobs in this new Chinese economy. How long before they look to the police state and start believing that it no longer serves the needs of the people is a question.
Rest in peace.
