DATE=6/3/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-250165
TITLE=CHINA / TIANANMEN (L-ONLY)
BYLINE=ROGHER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: ON THE EVE OF THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CRACKDOWN ON
PRO-DEMOCRACY DEMONSTRATORS NEAR BEIJING'S TIANANMEN SQUARE, THE
CHINESE GOVERNMMENT IS CLAMPING DOWN ON ANY POTENTIAL SIGN OF
REMEMBRANCE. V-O-A CORRESPONDENT ROGER WILKISON REPORTS THE
SQUARE ITSELF IS CLOSED OFF, DISSIDENTS ARE UNDER DETENTION OR
SURVEILLANCE, AND THE POLICE PRESENCE HAS BEEN BOOSTED IN SEVERAL
PARTS OF THE CHINESE CAPITAL.
TEXT: THERE IS NO MENTION AT ALL OF THE SENSITIVE ANNIVERSARY
IN THE CHINESE MEDIA. BUT NEWSPAPERS, RADIO AND TELEVISION HAVE
BEEN REPEATING PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN'S CALL FOR STABILITY ABOVE
ALL ELSE.
CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN ZHU BANGZAO, SPEAKING TO
REPORTERS THURSDAY, REITERATED THE GOVERNMENT LINE THAT THE 1989
CRACKDOWN -- IN WHICH HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WERE GUNNED DOWN BY THE
ARMY-- WAS NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN SOCIAL ORDER. WITHOUT
STABILITY, HE SAID, CHINA COULD NOT HAVE MADE STRIDES IN ITS
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND RAISED THE LIVING STANDARDS OF ITS
PEOPLE.
MR. ZHU -- SPEAKING THROUGH AN INTERPRETER -- ACCUSED SOME
WESTERN NEWS ORGANIZATIONS OF USING THE ANNIVERSARY TO SPREAD
ANTI-CHINESE PROPAGANDA.
/// INTERPRETER ACTUALITY ///
TO PLAY UP THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE JUNE 4TH INCIDENT IS NOT
JOURNALISM. IT'S RATHER AKIN TO POLITICS. THIS ACT WILL NOT BE
WELL RECEIVED.
/// END ACTUALITY ///
BEIJING'S PUBLIC SECURITY BUREAU HAS ORDERED HOTELS AND APARTMENT
BUILDINGS THAT RECEIVE THE U-S/BASED CABLE NEWS NETWORK TO SHUT
DOWN C-N-N'S SIGNAL UNTIL JUNE 8TH, BECAUSE OF ITS REPORTING ON
THE ANNIVERSARY. AT LEAST TWO OTHER FOREIGN TELEVISION NEWS
BUREAUS REPORT THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED INTERFERENCE TRYING TO FEED
FOOTAGE OF THE 1989 PROTESTS TO SATELLITES THROUGH CHINA'S
STATE-RUN NETWORK.
POLICE HAVE GONE ON HEIGHTENED ALERT AROUND THE SQUARE, THE
COMPOUND WHERE THE LEADERSHIP LIVES AND WORKS, AND THE AMERICAN
EMBASSY -- THE SCENE NEARLY FOUR WEEKS AGO OF VIOLENT
GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED DEMONSTRATIONS AGAINST NATO'S BOMBING OF
CHINA'S EMBASSY IN YUGOSLAVIA.
TIANANMEN SQUARE, WHICH LIES IN THE HEART OF THE CHINESE CAPITAL
-- IN FRONT OF THE ENTRANCE TO THE FORBIDDEN CITY-- HAS BEEN
CLOSED OFF FOR MONTHS. IT IS BEING RESURFACED AND IS SURROUNDED
BY A WALL OF CORRUGATED METAL.
THE HONG KONG-BASED INFORMATION CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND
DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT IN CHINA -- WHICH MONITORS DISSIDENT
ACTIVITIES IN CHINA -- SAYS THE AUTHORITIES HAVE QUESTIONED
NEARLY 100 PEOPLE TO WARN THEM AGAINST HOLDING ANY MEMORIAL
SERVICES. THE CENTER SAYS MORE THAN 30 ACTIVISTS ARE STILL UNDER
DETENTION IN CONNECTION WITH THE TIANANMEN ANNIVERSARY. (SIGNED)
NEB/RW/FC/KL
03-Jun-99 7:57 AM EDT (1157 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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