Honour soldier's courage

Most long-term residents of Hong Kong will be able to recall where they were during the Tiananmen Square trouble in 1989.

The image of Wang Dan, the single, defiant dissident facing a column of People's Liberation Army tanks, is permanently etched in our memories and will long conjure up those sad days.

As a testament to this man and this image, Time magazine has just named Mr Wang as one of the most influential leaders of this century. Certainly, using his body to turn away an entire column of tanks was a courageous act.

Yet honouring Mr Wang while forgetting others who acted with equal bravery is, in my mind, a sad reminder of the sensationalism of journalism.

Those who commit themselves to military service swear an oath to defend their country and obey orders. It was a greater act of bravery for the young tank commander and his crew to stop when faced by the single dissident.

Jeopardising his honour and standing in the regiment was the greater act of defiance. The tank commander sacrificed his honour, disgraced his family and is probably lying forgotten in an unmarked grave, when he is the person who should be remembered as the officer who, this time, did not obey orders.