Case Study Tiananmen Square China Background Info

Case Study: Tiananmen Square China

Background Info Dan Xiaoping’s reform and their limitations Nature of communist state? Events in USSR and Eastern Europe? ? Poland Solidarity Chinese Student protests of 1986

4 fundamental principle • While 4 modernization was a program for updating economy, political life was still guided by old principles • SOCIALIST ROAD • DICTATORSHIP OF PEOPLE’S DEMOCRACY • LEADERSHIP OF COMMUNIST PARTY • MAO ZEDONG THOUGHT

Who Is Involved? • Hu Yaobang is a government official who called for more freedom and “Democratic Reforms. ” • Other Chinese officials are outraged and force him to resign from his job. • Students in China are influenced by Yaobang’s calls for freedom, and follow his cause.

Hu Yaobang

What Happens? • On April 15 th, 1989 – Hu Yaobang dies • Students begin a rally in Tiananmen Square to mourn his death. • The government tries to disperse the crowd – only fueling more anger and unrest. • Students begin to protest the harsh rules of the government, and call for democratic reforms.

What Happens? • Workers and other Chinese join the protest with the students.

Timeline • April 17, 1989 -Thousands of college students come to mourn the death of Hu Yoabang, • April 27 - “In Beijing one in 10 of the population was joining in…all of the old people, all the little children, so it was massive. ”

Time line • “On May 4, approximately 100, 000 students and workers marched in Beijing making demands for free media reform and a formal dialogue between the authorities and student-elected representatives. The government rejected the proposed dialogue, only agreeing to talk to members of appointed student organizations. ” (CNN news report)

Time line • On May 13, two days prior to the highly-publicized state visit by the reform-minded Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, huge groups of students occupied Tiananmen Square and started a hunger strike, insisting the government withdraw the accusation made in the People's Daily editorial and begin talks with the designated student representatives. Hundreds of students went on hunger strikes and were supported by hundreds of thousands of protesting students and part of the population of Beijing, for one week. ”

Tiananmen Square • Beijing University student leader argues with a policeman about the students' right to march. They are told not to march when emerging from their campus in Beijing, China, on April 27, 1989. Students from more than forty universities march to Tiananmen Square in protest of a newspaper article despite warnings of violent suppression.

• soldiers locked in arms try to march past a human blockade of students outside of the Great Hall of People in this June 3, 1989 photo. Soldiers were reported to resort to teargas and gunfire.

• Calling for freedom and democracy, demonstrating students surround policemen near Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, Thursday afternoon on May 4, 1989. Approximately 100, 000 students and workers marched toward the square demanding democratic reforms.

• The bodies of dead civilians lie among mangled bicycles near Beijing's Tiananmen Square early June 4, 1989. Tanks and soldiers stormed the area overnight, bringing a violent end to student demonstrations for democratic reform in China.

• A rickshaw driver fiercely peddles the wounded people, with the help of bystanders, to a nearby hospital Sunday, June 4, 1989. PLA soldiers again fired hundreds of rounds towards angry crowds gathered outside Tiananmen Square at noon.

• Beijing residents ask soldiers what they were going to do with the machine gun on their dashboard as they surround and stop a carload of Chinese soldiers on their way towards Tiananmen Square.

• A Chinese man wearing a T-shirt with protest slogans is tackled by a military policeman after he threw leaflets that said the government was corrupt (dirty).

• A student protester puts baracades in the way of a burning armored tank that rammed through student lines during an army attack on prodemocracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square.

• "Join us, join us, '' they chanted. Said one student interviewed by Dan Rather: "We protest our government and our party. " Rather: "And specifically, what is it about your gov and your party that you want to change? Student: "Corruption and conspiracy, I think. " Rather: "Corruption? " Student: "Yeah. And we, ah, call for freedom and democracy. " Rather reported how that afternoon, the students began singing "The Internationale. " The crowd pushed right up to the very seat of communist power. They were fearless. "We are students who do not have any arms or any weapons in our hands, and we don't think the government will do anything against us, " a protester told Rather. "They cannot, by no means. . . drive us out of the square. "

Government Reaction • The government declares martial law to end protests • The military moves into the square with weapons and tanks • The Western media captures the event

Outcome? • Some say 3, 000 to 5, 000 people were killed • The Government arrests students and organizers of the rally. • The Government also arrests those within its own ranks who supported the reforms. • YET – surprisingly Tiananmen stands as the only open public protest for growing democratization

Years Later? • In China, discussion of the event is considered inappropriate • The government blocks all information on the internet such as Google or Wikipedia • There are no news reports on the subject • Human Rights movement still continues

How do we know this happened? • Primary Documents – Photos, journals, video footage • Secondary Documents – newspaper reports

Tank Man

Homework • Write a paragraph about what you see and what you believe is going on