Tiananmen's Bitter Sixteen
Jun. 4th, 2005 02:37 am
Photo taken by Associate Press in 1989
The Tiananmen Square Massacre
June 4, 1989
Background information here.
Today marks the 16th anniversary of the Chinese government's violent suppression of pro-democracy demonstrators at Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989—the culmination of a series of China's military crackdown on demonstrators, beginning with the declaration of martial law against protesters on May 20, 1989. The decision led to bloodshed, loss of lives, and international condemnation and a subsequent embargo on weapon sales to China.
After 16 years, the initial torrent and eventual ripple effect of the massacre have calmed. But the slogan of those who choose not to forget still rings strong: 「以史為鑑,平反六四」(using history as evidence to vindicate June 4).
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