how many people died in tiananmen square?
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how many people died in tiananmen square?
Tiananmen Square incident, also called June Fourth incident or 6/4, series of protests and demonstrations in China in the spring of 1989 that culminated on the night of June 3–4 with a government crackdown on the demonstrators in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. Although the demonstrations and their subsequent repression occurred in cities throughout the country, the events in Beijing—especially in Tiananmen Square, historically linked to such other protests as the May Fourth Movement (1919)—came to symbolize the entire incident.
Of all the Chinese figures the world came to know in the course of last year’s tumult, the most memorable was anonymous: that wiry young man who halted a column of tanks near Tiananmen Square by simply standing in front of them. Later, human rights groups identified the man as Wang Weilin, the 19-year-old son of a Beijing factory worker.
Wang was reportedly arrested soon after his brave deed and accused of being a “counterrevolutionary, a traitor and a political hooligan” who attempted to subvert members of the army. Because of the severity of the charges, it was widely feared that he had been executed. In an interview with ABC’s Barbara Walters aired two weeks ago, Communist Party chief Jiang Zemin said he could not say what had happened to Wang, but added, “I think ((he was)) never killed.”
In the current climate in China, it is virtually impossible to confirm the fate of such an individual. People who might know something are too frightened to speak to reporters, and official pronouncements are suspect. These reasons — plus the fact that authorities instructed hospitals and crematoria not to release casualty figures — also explain why no reliable death toll exists for the June massacre.
how many people died in tiananmen square?
In his official report on the upheavals, Chen Xitong, Beijing’s hard-line mayor,
claimed that 200 civilians were killed and more than 3,000 were wounded. “Several dozen” soldiers died, he said. His figures for civilians are almost universally dismissed as outrageous underestimates. On the day of the crackdown, Chinese Red Cross sources told reporters that 2,600 people died and 10,000 were injured, although the organization later denied it. Amnesty International and some of the protest participants put the number of dead closer to 1,000.
Outside of official circles in Beijing, however, no one will know the true cost in human life that day until China gets a leader with enough courage to throw light on one of the country’s darkest episodes.
How Many Died in 1989?
The authorities have never made public a full accounting of the dead and injured,
and they have stymied outside efforts to do so with a campaign of silence. Nor is there a clear consensus among Chinese and Western witnesses or human rights monitors,
whose estimates of the dead range from several hundred to more than 2,000.
Without solid information, Western journalists who write about the event routinely use the same phrase that ”hundreds, perhaps thousands,” were killed.
Ding Zilin, a retired professor in Beijing whose son was killed that night and who has become a leading campaigner for Government accountability,
said the 155 names of verifiable victims that she had collected probably represented part of the fatalities. Yet she does not hazard a firm estimate.
The only public Government document is vague on casualties. Entitled ”Report on Checking the Turmoil and Quelling the Counterrevolutionary Rebellion,”
it was released on July 6, 1989, by Mayor Chen Xitong of Beijing, who is in prison for corruption.
”More than 3,000 civilians were wounded and more than 200,
including 36 college students, died in the riot,” Mr. Chen wrote. ”Among the nonmilitary casualties were rioters who deserved the punishment, people accidentally injured,
doctors and other people who were carrying out various duties.”
How Many Died in 1989?
Since that report, no senior official has spoken out about the fatalities.
If it seems remarkable that such a central fact remains hidden, apparently known to a handful
of Communist leaders, it is a potent symbol of how closed politics here remain.
Ms. Woodman argued that the question of fatalities distracted attention from a more important issue, that the army followed orders to carry out a massacre of unarmed civilians.
”They fired at random,” she said. ”No warnings were given. They prevented evacuation. They fired at people who were running away. This was not about crowd control. This was a massacre.”
Tian’anmen Square is one of the biggest squares in the world.
Tian’anmen Square was originally built in 1651, but enlarged four times and cemented over in 1958. It was then the largest square in the world for 17 years. The square is now the world’s sixth largest city square, but by far the most visited: by millions of both Chinese and foreign tourists.
And, The square is named after The Gate of Heavenly Peace.
The square is named after the original main gate of the Forbidden City, which was called ‘Heavenly Peace Gate’ (Tian’anmen). The gate is located at the northern end of the square.
The portrait of Chairman Mao is showcased in front of Tian’anmen Gate. This is also the entrance to the Forbidden City which is another must-see on your trip to Beijing.
The Tank Man was and still is anonymous
“Almost certainly he was seen in his moment of self-transcendence by more people than ever laid eyes on Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein and James Joyce combined,” essayist Pico Iyer wrote in TIME about Tank Man, the nameless individual who was pictured stopping a column of tanks on June 5, a day after the massacre. The man was ultimately hustled to safety by fellow protesters and quite lost to the crowd. Only rumors of his identity persist, and when Chinese leader Jiang Zermin was asked a year later if he know what had happened to the young man, he responded: “I think never killed.”
Tiananmen Square History
While the events of 1989 now dominate global coverage of Tiananmen Square,
the site has long been an important crossroads within the city of Beijing. It was named for the nearby Tiananmen, or “Gate of Heavenly Peace,”
and marks the entrance to the so-called Forbidden City. The location took on added significance as China shifted from an emperor-led political culture to one that was governed by the Communist Party.
The Qing dynasty was the last dynastic power to rule China. It governed the country from the middle of the 1600s until 1912.
The Xinhai Revolution of 1911-1912 resulted in the overthrow of the Qings and led to the establishment of the Republic of China. The early years of the Republic were marked by political turmoil,
however, and the country fell under Japanese rule during the lead-up to World War II.
During the Japanese occupation, some 20 million Chinese were killed.
Tiananmen Square today
Today Tiananmen Square remains a vast sprawling plaza that is very much a gateway to the sights of Beijing, and an iconic part of the city. Nearby sights include the Forbidden City, the Great Hall of the People, the Mao Mausoleum, the Museum of Chinese History, and the Museum of the Chinese Revolution to name a few.
In the square itself also sits the famous Monument to the People’s Heroes, a giant obelisk erected for the People’s Republic of China, while many also travel to Tiananmen to remember those who died in the violence of the 1989 protests.
Interesting Tiananmen Square facts
| Tiananmen Square contains the Great Hall of the People, the Monument to the People’s Heroes, the National Museum of China, and the Chairman Mao Zedong Memorial Hall. |
| The Great Hall of the People in Tiananmen Square is host to the annual National People’s Congress meetings. It has more than 10,000 seats in the meeting hall and 5,000 more in the banquet hall. |
| The May Fourth Movement held protests at Tiananmen Square in 1919. This movement was a cultural, political, and anti-imperialist movement that protested the government’s weak behaviour, such as giving Japan territories surrendered by Germany in the Treaty of Versailles. |
| Mao Zedong, who is embalmed in his memorial hall in Tiananmen Square, founded the People’s Republic of China on October 1st, 1949, in the square. |
| For ten years, beginning in 1949, on the anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China there were large military displays at Tiananmen Square. |
| In 1976 protests were held at Tiananmen Square after the Premier Zhou Enlai died. |
Interesting Tiananmen Square factsIn 1989 protests at Tiananmen Square by students who demanded democratic reform became violent when the government and the military went in with tanks and soldiers and killed thousands of people. |
| Although the protest in 1989 was originally started by students, more than one million people were there in support by the time the military intervened and stared killing the people in the square. |
| After the Tiananmen Square events in 1989 the General Secretary, who sympathized with the protestors, lost his job. |
| Tiananmen Square is open to the public, but prior to being allowed entry people are searched to ensure safety. Chinese residents are often asked why they are visiting Tiananmen Square when they wish to gain entry. |
| There are many fire extinguishers at Tiananmen Square to help stop protestors from setting themselves on fire (self-immolation). |
| Kite flying is very popular at Tiananmen Square and vendors are there to sell kites to people who do not bring their own. |
| Tiananmen Square has large lampposts which serve as sources of light. They also hold video cameras to allow for close monitoring of the large area by police. |
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