Twenty years have passed since the Chinese government ordered its military to crush a pro-democracy protest in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. But the deeper conflict built up over time, and continues to this day.
The protests that led to the military crackdown actually began in April 1989 after the death of reformist party leader Hu Yaobang.
Hu served as General Secretary of the Communist Party from 1980 to 1987, but was forced out of office amidst accusations that he encouraged student protests.
His April 15, 1989 death prompted students to march into Tiananmen Square, a large plaza in the middle of Beijing, to commemorate his death and protest his removal from office two years earlier.
As the days went by, millions of people angered by rampant government corruption joined the protest to demand democratic reform.
The group of protesters grew to over a million students, workers, intellectuals and civil servants. They peacefully occupied the plaza for seven weeks as demonstrations spread to more than 300 Chinese cities.
The Chinese government attempted to persuade the protestors to leave the square, but they refused to move until their demands were met.
On April 26, China’s paramount leader, Deng Xiaoping, condemned the protests in an editorial in the Chinese publication People’s Daily. The article angered protestors.
Throughout the day on June 3, the government warned that it would take action against the protesters, who it alleged were causing “social chaos.” Despite the warnings, the brutality of the crackdown that ensued later that day surprised both protesters and spectators around the world.
The People’s Liberation Army tanks rolled through the streets of Beijing as troops stormed the square from several directions, firing rifles and tear gas on unarmed protesters.
The civilians fled frantically, carrying the dead and injured on bicycle carts and rickshaws. Many protestors resisted, throwing rocks and bricks at troops and seeking refuge in burned-out buses surrounding the plaza.
Troops shot, stabbed and beat protestors through the night. Tanks rolled over groups of demonstrators. By the morning of June 4, Tiananmen Square and the surrounding streets had been cleared.
The Chinese government put the official death toll at 241, but many observers put the actual death toll in the thousands.
Immediately after the massacre, police made widespread arrests to suppress protestors and their supporters. Tens of thousands were jailed and government control of the media was tightened.
World leaders condemned the government’s actions. Canada and other western nations imposed sanctions on China and reduced aid provisions.
But economic relations continued and Jean Chretien led several trade missions to China while prime minister. Over the past 20 years, economic controls in China have loosened, and the country has experienced a period of impressive growth. China now wields a great deal of economic influence and political clout in the international arena.
Tiananmen Square has had little lasting impact on China’s international connections, but the Chinese government continues to censor any mention of the massacre. It is left out of Chinese textbooks and all internet references to it are blocked. Government officials forbid any mention of it in the news media.
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