Tiananmen Square Massacre

June 4, 1989. Thousands of protesters are gathered on Tiananmen Square, demanding political reform.
Sparked by the death of reformer Hu Yaobang on April 15, the former Communist General Secretary, spontaneous public mourning by students in defiance of the Communist leadership took place. Soon after, thousands of Chinese citizens joined the demonstrations as concerns over economic reform and corruption grew. The protests gained momentum, with several students engaging in hunger strikes despite a vociferous denunciation by Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. On May 19th, martial law was declared and on June 4, soldiers from the People’s Liberation Army entered Beijing. Thousands of people were shot, wounded, or killed as the army quashed the demonstrations.

In the aftermath, the government purged many senior officials, including Zhao Ziyang, the architect of China’s economic reforms. Foreign press were banned and the government enacted strict control over domestic media. Today, the Chinese government denies all attempts at examining the massacre. The event is politically sensitive, and access for information-online, in the media, or otherwise- is strictly controlled. Many of the population in China, especially the younger ones, do not even know of the event. In China, dissent is suppressed and activists are either jailed or forced into exile. China arrested dissident and Nobel Prize winner Liu Xiaobo in 2008,  who is still currently incarcerated in an undisclosed location, and in April, China arrested noted artist Ai Weiwei for "economic crimes."

The 22^nd anniversary of Tiananmen Sq. comes at an especially poignant moment, given the recent successes in Tahrir Square in Egypt and the so-called Arab Spring. China, while coming a long way from the tyranny of Mao Zedong, is still not free. Activists are still hounded by the authorities. Rampant corruption still exists. And instead of using dialogue, the government still too often relies on fear and force.  

As the events in the Middle East shows, change will come, whether from below or from above. It is inevitable. Rest in peace, protesters of Tiananmen Square. Your voices will be heard.