A man blocks a line of tanks in the east on Boulevard Chang’an de Beijing by Tiananmen Square on June 5, 1989. The man, calling for the end of recent violence and blood effusions against pro-democracy demonstrators, was removed by passers-by, and the tanks continued in their own way. (Jeff Widener / Associated Press)
How I came to learn about June 4
June 2, 2023
On the eve of the 34th anniversary of the massacre in Tiananmen Square, Radio Free Asia collected stories of young Chinese Internet users on their knowledge of events surrounding on June 4, 1989.
Speaking of June 4, we must mention the bypass of the great firewall, because there were too many [missing parts to] Our history manuals, clearly censored and “missing”. I am someone who likes to study the story, and when I started to learn modern history, I became curious: why did it only take 49 years?
– Student V
During my second year of high school, a close friend and I discussed what historical events could have been manipulated by the Chinese Communist Party. He told me about “June 4”. Me, as a young teenager, I was deeply shocked and I also became aware of the existence of censorship on the Internet.
– Student “Barely a post-00”
Thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators meet on the Tiananmen square in Beijing on May 17, 1989. In the background, the door of celestial peace. (Sadayuki Mikami / Associated Press)
The rumor of the Deng Xiaoping tanks crushing the students was quite widespread in our hometown, but no one could tell the full story. We all understood without speaking. When I was young, I was shocked when I heard about it.
– Xiang, a student
I was watching a video game live from a first -person shooting video game on Bilibili, and the streamer generally allows a special mode to prevent “bombing” by trolls. In this mode, the nickname the opponent is replaced by a character name followed by a chain of numbers. On that day, in the upper right corner, killing information suddenly displayed ‘Dongli Xiaozi # 8964’ [which
could be seen as referencing the date of the crackdown] And immediately the livestream was closed. I felt a feeling of absurdity and a desire to seek knowledge.
– Chen, a student
Personal police parade via Tiananmen Square in Beijing bearing banners in support of Hunger University Students, May 19, 1989. (Sadayuki Mikami / Associated Press)
A political party which is sensitive and suppresses the people is intended not to go far. The thought and open-mindedness of the students of June 4 are what we, the post-00 generation, admire. Such minds should have been greeted and celebrated, but they were abolished and silenced by the government. It’s so sad, so tragic.
– Him, a student
Thanks to the efforts I made to understand on June 4 by bypassing the large firewall, I developed the habit of using YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and other inaccessible applications in China. For this reason, I have met many people, met new knowledge and perspectives and learned to cherish everything I have in the present.
– Anonymous student
A young woman is taken between civilians and Chinese soldiers who were trying to withdraw it from an assembly near the great people of the Beijing People on June 3, 1989. (Jeff Widener / Associated Press)
Once, my father mentioned the incident of Tiananmen knows involuntarily, saying that Deng [Xiaoping] killed many students there and that it was a tainted place.
– Post-25000 member of the League of Young Communists
On April 4, 2020, which happened to be the national day of mourning to remember those who sacrificed themselves due to the prevention of the epidemic, the flag of Tiananmen Square was lowered in half-masted. Two classmates and I made an appointment, brought candles and a portrait of Li Wenliang and entered the square. It was this experience that gave me a certain degree of personal understanding of the experiences of June 4 students, and it is something that I will never forget.
– Beijing classmate
A ripe pousse driver transports injured – with the help of passers -by – to a Beijing hospital after being injured in clashes with Chinese soldiers in Tiananmen Square, on June 4, 1989. (Liu Heung Shing / Associated Press)
I was about 12 or 13 years old that year. I watched the film “Lan Yu” on Bilibili Animation, and he subtly mentioned the incident of June 4. I saw informative comments from users in the cat.
– Guo, a student
If it was not for the song “ Queen’s Road East ” suddenly disappearing in the summer of 2019, I may not know what happened in Hong Kong at that time, and I could not have known that such an important event occurred in 1989. When international media reported on the anti-extradition demonstrations of Hong Kong, they sometimes mentioned on June 4.
– Another student
Chinese troops and tanks meet in Beijing the day after the military repression which ended the seven-weekly pro-democracy demonstration in Tiananmen Square in Beijing, June 5, 1989. (Jeff Widener / Associated Press)
Publishers: Malcolm Foster, Shen Hua, H. Léo Kim, Josh Lipes, Paul Nelson, Brian Tian, Li Xiang
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Translated by: Shen Hua
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Graphic: Amanda Weisbrod
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Web page produced by Minh-ha
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Product by radio free asia
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© 2023 RFA
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