Tiananmen anniversary remembered in Taiwan as China tightens security

[inanna]

Source: Associated Press

1:38 PM, Fri., June 3, 2016

BEIJING—Commemorations were held in Taiwan and elsewhere Friday ahead of the 27th anniversary of China’s bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests centred on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, while the government in China, where the incident remains a taboo topic, said it had long ago turned the page on the “political turmoil.”

Former student leader Wu’er Kaixi was joined by lawmakers at Taiwan’s legislature on Friday to mark the June 4, 1989, military assault that left hundreds, possibly thousands, dead. Taiwan’s democratic politics and open society have long served as a counterpoint to China’s authoritarian one-party system, which permits no discussion of the crackdown or memorials for the victims.

<snip>

With the anniversary looming, security in China has been tightened and victims’ family members have been placed under additional restrictions. At least half a dozen people have reportedly been detained for attempting to commemorate the events, although a small group wearing T-shirts condemning the crackdown converged on the square on Sunday, among them former house painter Qi Zhiyong, who had both of his legs amputated after being shot by martial law troops early on June 4, 1989.

In Washington, D.C., the State Department called for a “full public accounting of those killed, detained, or missing and for an end to censorship of discussions about the events of June 4, 1989, as well as an end to harassment and detention of those who wish to peacefully commemorate the anniversary.”

Read more: https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2016/06/03/tiananmen-crackdown-remembered-in-taiwan-as-china-tightens-security.html

[left-of-center2012]

1. Trump once praised the Chinese for the Tiananmen Square massacre

Said they were strong and decisive!

[christx30]

5. That's just plain sickening.

If I knew nothing else about Trump, hearing that would leave me with enough knowledge to hate the man.

Trump on Kim Jong Un:

You've got to give him credit. How many young guys (he was like 26 or 25 when his father died) take over these tough generals, and all of a sudden... he goes in, he takes over, he's the boss.

It's incredible. He wiped out the uncle, he wiped out this one, that one. This guy doesn't play games.

[LanternWaste]

2. It's difficult for me to wrap my head around the fact that this happened almost thirty years ago.

It's difficult for me to wrap my head around the fact that this happened almost thirty years ago. I optimistically thought, just for a few days mind you, that Tienanmen Square would be the 20th century's Bastille.

[geardaddy]

3. I was living in Taiwan when 6/4 (that's what they call it) happened

People were seriously freaked and many thought that the PRC would try to invade Taiwan. It was a scary time.

[proverbialwisdom]

4. Press Statement by Secretary of State John Kerry on June 4, 2014

http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2014/06/227083.htm

Message on the 25th Anniversary of Tiananmen Square

Press Statement

John Kerry
Secretary of State
Washington, DC

June 4, 2014

Today of all days, we remember the courage and commitment of hundreds of thousands of peaceful protesters who took to the streets to demand fundamental, universal rights. I’ll never forget turning on the television in my office and seeing a column of tanks halted by a single man armed only with his conscience. In those uncertain days, I was in the presence of 2,000 students in Massachusetts. I shared with them that these events were not the happenings of a weekend, but the happenings of an epoch, of a lifetime, and they demanded a moral and political response.

For all people who seek freedom, Tiananmen Square still stirs our conscience. That is why the United States and the international community commemorate the tragic loss of hundreds of lives and the heavy price paid by those who braved the violence in pursuit of the freedom to express their views. We express our sorrow to the families still grieving the loved ones, the lost, and especially to the Tiananmen Mothers.

We all recognize and appreciate that China has made marked social and economic progress in the past several decades. Continued progress will be defined by openness not just to the world, but to the voices and diverse perspectives of China’s citizens. Open discussion and examination of the events of 1989 and a full public accounting of those killed, detained, or missing would be a sign of strength and healing, not weakness and division. A peaceful, prosperous future is made more promising by healing the wounds of the past. We call on Chinese authorities to release from prison all those still serving sentences in connection with the events surrounding June 4, 1989, and end the ongoing pattern of harassment, detention, and official retribution against those who participated in the demonstrations, their family members, and those who continue to bravely speak out. We also urge China to release those who were detained in advance of the anniversary of June 4, and to uphold its international commitments to protect fundamental freedoms of all in China. All societies are stronger when every citizen has a say and a stake in their country’s direction.