Twenty years ago today, PLA tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square to crush China's biggest peaceful protest. Troops opened fire on defenceless civilians, leaving dozens - perhaps hundreds - dead on the streets. The country is still living under the shadow of this terrible chapter in its history. It is time for the central government to face up to the truth and make amends, so China can move on. The brutal suppression of the pro-democracy protests in Beijing shrouded the country in a veil of darkness. The killings shocked the world and have influenced the way in which China has been perceived ever since. They had an especially strong and lasting impact on Hong Kong which, at the time, was preparing for the handover eight years later.
Most important, though, is the impact the crackdown has had on the lives of so many people. The families of those who died still mourn their loved ones and live in hope that they will, one day, receive justice. At the very least, it should be recognised that the students were peacefully exercising their right to free expression. They were not counter-revolutionaries bent on turmoil and they posed no threat to the nation.
China has made great progress since June 4, 1989. It has remained stable, achieved awe-inspiring economic growth and emerged on the world stage. These are big achievements. But none of them can be used as an excuse for the bloodshed in Beijing that night. The cold-blooded crackdown was an atrocity, no matter what view is taken of the politics involved or of China's progress since. It is, therefore, important that people continue to commemorate that night, to remember the victims, and to reflect. The vigil in Hong Kong remains the most significant act of remembrance, especially as it takes place on Chinese soil. But on this 20th anniversary there will be many more in different parts of the world.
A FLAWED ARGUMENT
On the mainland, however, security has been tightened and activists detained. There will be no overt commemoration or recognition of the anniversary. It is as if Beijing intends to wait out an entire generation who remember the crackdown. This is regrettable. Time has not healed the psychological scars, or weakened the case for the authorities to own up to what really happened and seek reconciliation with the victims.
It has been claimed that the crackdown was necessary to put China on course for stable development, unity and economic growth. But this is a flawed argument. The student protesters were peaceful and their requests reasonable. There were many ways in which the deadlock could have been resolved without sending in the troops. And China could still have enjoyed economic success without a bloody crackdown.