Today, June 4th, marks the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement, known as “June Fourth” in China. The democratic movement, which erupted passionately, was brutally suppressed by the Chinese Communist Party, resulting in the large-scale deaths of unarmed protesters. Over the past 35 years, the Chinese authorities have tightly controlled information related to “June Fourth,” but some people have managed to obtain information from overseas sources, and memories of the event continue to be passed down privately. Despite the heavy-handed censorship under the “red terror,” how much do people in China still remember about the “June Fourth” incident? Can the Chinese government succeed in erasing this chapter of history?
In an interview with Epoch Times on June 3rd, Du Wen, former Executive Director of the Legal Advisory Office of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region government in exile in Europe, expressed that people commemorate “June Fourth” because it symbolizes universal values such as democracy, freedom, human rights, and peaceful resistance. She pointed out that through their bloodshed, the Chinese people once demonstrated courage and the will to resist.
Du Wen stated that the generation today yearns for “June Fourth,” but in the current domestic environment, it is nearly impossible to find traces of the event as discussion is always shrouded in taboo, leading to sighs of frustration. The main forces after “June Fourth” have all fled overseas.
Rights lawyer Jiang Shan (pseudonym) in mainland China mentioned to Epoch Times on June 3rd that people of the 80s and 90s, especially the post-70s generation, may still retain some memories of the “June Fourth” incident. However, the Chinese authorities have since covered up and distorted the truth about “June Fourth,” branding it as a student riot in official propaganda.
Today, apart from the students of the “June Fourth” generation, some individuals with personal connections to the event still commemorate, but many have been indoctrinated into the Communist ideology or have chosen not to remember or mention the event, fearing repercussions on their careers, families, and stability. Despite the regime’s repression, some democratic activists in China continue to find ways to memorialize “June Fourth.”
The Chinese Communist Party seeks to erase the imprint of the “June Fourth” incident from people’s minds. Yet, the witnesses of the Tiananmen massacre – the families of the victims – remain a thorn in the authorities’ side.
The “Tiananmen Mothers” is a Chinese rights group formed by families of the “June Fourth” victims. Each year on the anniversary of “June Fourth,” the “Tiananmen Mothers” issue public demands to the authorities, calling for the truth about “June Fourth,” compensation for the victims’ families, and accountability for those responsible.
In a recent public statement, the group reiterated their three demands: truth, compensation, and accountability. They expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s 35 years of silence and their distortion of the facts regarding the 1989 student movement.
Since 1989, the Chinese authorities have utilized all means to control and suppress any expression relating to “June Fourth”, including blocking publications, newspapers, electronic media, the internet, and social platforms discussing the event. Scholars and researchers, both within and outside the system, are forbidden to organize or study materials related to the incident. Educational materials in schools omit any mention of “June Fourth” and the Tiananmen democracy movement. Teachers are prohibited from discussing the event in classrooms, and schools and bookstores are barred from selling publications on the subject.
On March 28th this year, during a live interview on a car with New Oriental Group founder Yu Minhong, Geely Automobile founder Li Shufu mentioned, “After ‘June Fourth’, I stopped production.” “Before ‘June Fourth’, our refrigerator brand was called ‘North Pole Flower’.” “After ‘June Fourth’, all of this came to a halt.”
These few remarks resulted in the livestream being temporarily banned.
On June 3, 2022, the day before the anniversary of “June Fourth,” Li Jiaqi, a well-known mainland Chinese e-commerce anchor known as the “Lipstick King,” caused an interruption in his livestream by presenting an ice cream cake resembling a “tank.” He briefly disappeared from public view.
Many young Chinese, particularly those born after the massacre (known as the generations post-1990 and post-2000), know very little about this tragedy. Li’s many young fans were puzzled by the sudden pause in the livestream. However, discussions connecting Li Jiaqi’s interrupted livestream with the tank-shaped ice cream cake began flooding Weibo. Curious fans reported delving into research, some claiming they learned about the sensitivity of tanks from their families.
Some fans mentioned bypassing China’s internet censorship to understand the sensitivity of tank shapes, hinting at the massacre as “that event.” Discussions occurred under close scrutiny, with many comments disappearing shortly after being posted.
Beijing dissident Huang Tian told Epoch Times that the Chinese authorities forbid any mention of “June Fourth” in all circumstances. Many young people, including the majority, are unaware of “June Fourth.” Even for those who experienced it, some choose to forget.
However, Huang believes that the Communist Party cannot make everyone forget about “June Fourth.” “Dissidents, participants of 8964, victims of the CCP’s brutal crackdown, cannot forget. And the awakened protesters actively seek the truth about ‘June Fourth,’ most of whom go around the censorship and access information in the free world online. The number of these awakened individuals and protesters continues to grow, making it impossible for the Communist Party to erase these traces entirely.”
Huang also expressed several hopes, including urging those affected by “June Fourth” suppression to inform the state security, police, community personnel, and security guards about the truth regarding “June Fourth.” Secondly, people who know the truth about “June Fourth” should share it with their families, relatives, classmates, and colleagues.
A freelance professional from mainland China who returned from overseas, Mr. Zhang, told Epoch Times on June 4th that there are at least two channels that make it impossible for the Chinese authorities to erase “June Fourth.” First, many libraries overseas preserve Chinese publications from that time, and there are many videos circulating after the massacre. Secondly, during “June Fourth,” many intellectuals in mainland China discreetly retained publications from that period.
“This is widely known within our circle, including even conscientious and visionary individuals in the upper echelons of the Communist Party, who discreetly preserved various newspapers.”
Mr. Zhang believes that young Chinese still have the opportunity to learn the truth about “June Fourth.” “About a decade ago, only a small number of ’90s students I came across were guided by adults to learn about ‘June Fourth’ through circumventing the censorship. Nowadays, many students have the chance to study abroad, so the Communist Party’s attempt to erase the memory of ‘June Fourth’ domestically is futile.”
Huang Tian stated that the Communist Party has no authority to exonerate “June Fourth.” “Every time this day comes around, there are calls for the Communist Party to vindicate 8964, which I find absurd. How can criminals be asked to expedite their own appalling deeds? How can perpetrators be requested to exonerate their victims? The CCP, as well as those who partook in the violent suppression, should face judgment and have no right to so-called vindication.”
Mr. Zhang also questioned the slogan advocating for the exoneration of “June Fourth,” as it indirectly acknowledges the legitimacy of the Communist Party.
“The only way to resolve the ‘June Fourth’ issue is for the Communist Party to collapse. Without the collapse of the Communist Party, the blood debt from ‘June Fourth’ cannot be settled, and this bloodshed cannot be resolved,” he remarked.