DATE=6/3/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=5-43560
TITLE=CHINA/TIANANMEN-STUDENTS
BYLINE=STEPHANIE HO
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: TEN YEARS AGO FRIDAY, CHINESE ARMY TROOPS KILLED HUNDREDS
OF PEOPLE WHEN THEY BRUTALLY CRUSHED A STUDENT-LED, PRO-DEMOCRACY
DEMONSTRATION ON BEIJING'S TIANANMEN SQUARE. SINCE THEN STUDENTS
HAD NOT PARTICIPATED IN LARGE-SCALE PROTESTS, UNTIL LAST MONTH'S
MONTH'S VIOLENT ANTI-U-S AND ANTI-NATO DEMONSTRATIONS. VOA
BEIJING CORRESPONDENT STEPHANIE HO HAS THIS LOOK AT WHAT HAS
CHANGED AND WHAT HAS REMAINED THE SAME IN STUDENT ATTITUDES.
TEXT: STRENGTHENING CHINA HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MAJOR CONCERNS OF
STUDENTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY'S RECENT HISTORY.
IN THE MASS DEMONSTRATION ONE DECADE AGO, THE TARGET WAS THE
CHINESE GOVERNMENT -- WHICH WAS BLAMED FOR CORRUPTION AND
ECONOMIC MISMANAGEMENT. AT THE SAME TIME, PROTESTERS CALLED FOR
WESTERN-STYLE POLITICAL REFORMS.
AFTER CRUSHING THE PROTEST, THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT DID NOT
DIRECTLY ACKNOWLEDGE THE DEMANDS OF THE DEMONSTRATORS, BUT IT DID
MOVE TO ADDRESS THEM. BEIJING HAS BROUGHT DOWN DOUBLE-DIGIT
INFLATION, TAKEN STEPS TO COMBAT CORRUPTION AND HAS EVEN
INTRODUCED VILLAGE-LEVEL ELECTIONS. MEANTIME, MOST CHINESE
PEOPLE ENJOY A HIGHER LIVING STANDARD AND MORE PERSONAL FREEDOM
THAN THEY EVER HAD BEFORE.
REFLECTING ON THE EVENTS OF A DECADE AGO, FOREIGN MINISTRY
SPOKESMAN ZHU BANGZAO REPEATED THE OFFICIAL VERDICT, SAYING THAT
THE EVENTS WERE A POLITICAL DISTURBANCE. SPEAKING THROUGH AN
INTERPRETER, MR. ZHU SAID CHINESE LEADERS CRUSHED THE PROTEST TO
GUARANTEE CHINA'S STABILITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
// ZHU INTERPRETER ACT //
OUR POSITION OVER THIS HAS BEEN CONSISTENT. WE HAVE ALREADY
COME TO A CORRECT CONCLUSION OVER THIS. THERE WILL BE NO CHANGE
WHATSOEVER TO THIS.
// END ACT //
HE FURTHER WARNED AGAINST POLITICAL ACTIVITIES THAT HE SAYS ARE
AIMED AT OVERTHROWING THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND DAMAGING THE
SOCIAL ORDER.
FOR CHINESE STUDENTS, THOUGH, GOVERNMENT ADMONITIONS ABOUT JUNE
FOURTH MAY NOT BE NECESSARY. AFTER TEN YEARS OF INTENSIVE
NATIONALISM-BUILDING THROUGH SCHOOLS AND MEDIA, MOST OBSERVERS
SAY STUDENTS ARE NOT INTERESTED IN OVERTHROWING THE GOVERNMENT.
THEY JUST WANT CHINA TO BE A STRONG COUNTRY.
WHEN NATO BOMBS MISTAKENLY DESTROYED CHINA'S EMBASSY IN
YUGOSLAVIA IN MAY, THOUSANDS OF ANGRY CHINESE DEMONSTRATED FOR
FOUR DAYS IN FRONT OF THE U-S AND SEVERAL OTHER FOREIGN EMBASSIES
IN BEIJING. STUDENTS WERE BROUGHT TO THE EMBASSIES IN CITY
BUSES. POLICE STOOD BY WHILE PROTESTERS THREW ROCKS, MOLOTOV
COCKTAILS AND PAINT BOMBS AT EMBASSY BUILDINGS.
ALTHOUGH THE TARGET OF STUDENT ANGER THIS TIME WAS THE WEST, AND
NOT THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, HISTORICAL CONCERNS WERE ILLUSTRATED
BY ONE OFTEN-REPEATED LINE -- CHINA WILL NOT BE HUMILIATED.
IN THE TEN YEARS SINCE THE 1989 DEMONSTRATIONS, POLITICS HAS
BECOME A SENSITIVE SUBJECT IN CHINESE UNIVERSITIES. ONE YOUNG
CHINESE COLLEGE GRADUATE SAYS SHE WAS NOT TAUGHT ABOUT MASS
MOVEMENTS -- NOT EVEN THE CHAOTIC DECADE KNOWN AS THE CULTURAL
REVOLUTION.
HAN DONGFANG, A FORMER RAILWAY WORKER WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE
1989 DEMONSTRATIONS AND WHO NOW CHAMPIONS THE RIGHTS OF CHINESE
WORKERS FROM HIS HOME IN HONG KONG, SAYS HE FEELS CHINESE
STUDENTS THESE DAYS ARE LESS WILLING TO BE POLITICAL ACTIVISTS.
// HAN ENGLISH ACT //
THE NEW GENERATION ARE LOSING THEIR DREAMS. THEY ARE LOSING
THEIR FEELING OF SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY.
// END ACT //
MR. HAN SAYS HE SEES MANY YOUNG CHINESE AS ONLY WANTING TO MAKE
MONEY.
THIS SENTIMENT IS ECHOED BY ROBIN MUNRO, FORMER HEAD OF HUMAN
RIGHTS WATCH ASIA, IN HONG KONG AND AN EYEWITNESS TO THE 1989
CRACKDOWN. HE SAYS THAT WAS AN EFFECTIVE LESSON FOR CHINESE
STUDENTS NOT TO GET INVOLVED IN CLAMORING FOR POLITICAL CHANGE.
// MUNRO ACT //
THE FACT IS, TERROR WORKS. A REPRESSIVE GOVERNMENT DOESN'T HAVE
TO KEEP SENDING OUT TANKS ON THE STREET EVERY WEEK OR MONTH OR
YEAR TO MAINTAIN THAT. YOU ONLY HAVE TO DO IT ONCE TO SIGNAL
THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS WILLING TO KILL AND CRUSH PEACEFUL
PROTESTS RUTHLESSLY. EVERYONE GETS THE MESSAGE.
// END ACT //
MR. MUNRO SAYS CHINESE HAVE A RIGHT TO PROTEST OVER THE NATO
STRIKE AGAINST THEIR EMBASSY. BUT HE SAYS CHINESE PEOPLE SHOULD
BE ALLOWED TO PUBLICLY DEMONSTRATE ABOUT ANYTHING -- NOT JUST
ISSUES ON WHICH THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PUBLIC HAPPEN TO AGREE.
(SIGNED)
NEB/HO/RW/FC
03-Jun-99 4:31 AM EDT (0831 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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