Many Chinese know little about the bloodshed in Beijing 30 years ago
What if China’s rulers pay no price for the massacre that ended the Tiananmen protests?
THREE DECADES after troops used murderous force to clear protesters from Tiananmen Square and central Beijing, covering up that crime has become a bit of a chore. China’s security machine is ready to censor, arrest and imprison those who speak too candidly about events in 1989. But 30 years on this work of repression is carried out with cold, bureaucratic efficiency—a far cry from the terrors of June 3rd and 4th when soldiers and tanks shot and smashed their way into the ceremonial heart of Beijing, as loudspeakers metallically intoned that the army “loves the people”.
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Tiananmen, 30 years on”
From the June 1st 2019 edition
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