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DATE=6/4/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-250220
TITLE=CHINA / TIANANMEN (L)
BYLINE=ROGER WILKISON
DATELINE=BEIJING
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:  
INTRO:  THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF CHINA'S CRUSHING OF 
PRO-DEMOCRACY  DEMONSTRATIONS IN AND AROUND BEIJING'S TIANANMEN 
SQUARE WAS GENERALLY QUIET, ALTHOUGH POLICE HUSTLED AWAY AT LEAST
TWO PROTESTERS IN THE SQUARE'S VICINITY.  V-O-A CORRESPONDENT 
ROGER WILKISON REPORTS THE POLICE PRESENCE AROUND THE SQUARE WAS 
BOOSTED TO PREVENT ANY PUBLIC COMMEMORATION OF THE 1989 
CRACKDOWN.
TEXT:  CHINESE LEADERS ORDERED EXTRA VIGILANCE TO PREVENT ANYONE 
FROM  USING THE ANNIVERSARY TO STIR UP ANGER OVER WIDESPREAD 
UNEMPLOYMENT AND CORRUPTION.  BUT ONE YOUNG MAN APPARENTLY DID 
NOT GET THE MESSAGE.  HE BRIEFLY THREW LEAFLETS IN THE AIR ON THE
EDGE OF THE SQUARE BEFORE BEING HAULED AWAY BY POLICE.  THE 
LEAFLETS COMPLAINED ABOUT CORRUPTION AND A GROWING GAP BETWEEN 
RICH AND POOR AND DEMANDED MORE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY AND A 
SAFETY NET FOR LAID-OFF WORKERS.
EARLIER, FOREIGN REPORTERS SAY THEY WITNESSED ANOTHER MAN ON THE 
FRINGES  OF TIANANMEN SQUARE UNFURL A WHITE UMBRELLA MARKED WITH 
THE SLOGAN  "REMEMBER THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STUDENT 
MOVEMENT".  HE TOO WAS LED AWAY BY POLICE.
SEVERAL FOREIGN JOURNALISTS WERE PICKED UP DURING THE DAY AND 
LATER  RELEASED AFTER BEING WARNED ABOUT REPORTING WITHOUT A 
PERMIT.  ONE TELEVISION CREW SAID ITS VIDEO FOOTAGE OF THE 
UMBRELLA PROTEST WAS SEIZED.
THERE WERE NO SIGNS OF PUBLIC MOURNING FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE 
CRACKDOWN  OTHER THAN THE RITUAL VISIT TO CEMETERIES BY RELATIVES
OF THE DEAD.  THE  GOVERNMENT HAS NEVER RELEASED FIGURES ON THE 
NUMBER OF PEOPLE KILLED WHEN THE CHINESE ARMY INVADED THE SQUARE 
AND ITS VICINITY AND CRUSHED THE  PRO-DEMOCRACY DEMONSTRATIONS IN
1989.  BUT SEVERAL HUNDRED ARE BELIEVED TO HAVE DIED.
FOR MOST CHINESE, THOUGH, THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MASSACRE 
WAS LIKE ANY OTHER DAY.  PEOPLE WENT ABOUT THEIR NORMAL 
ACTIVITIES, AND THE TRAFFIC FLOW AROUND THE SQUARE APPEARED TO BE
ROUTINE.  STUDENTS AT BEIJING'S UNIVERSITIES -- THE HOTBED OF THE
1989 PROTESTS -- ARE BUSY STUDYING FOR FINAL EXAMS AND APPEAR TO 
BE UNINTERESTED IN THE ANNIVERSARY. 
TIANANMEN SQUARE ITSELF HAS BEEN CLOSED OFF FOR RENOVATION AS 
CHINA GEARS UP TO CELEBRATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMMUNIST
STATE ON OCTOBER  FIRST.  CHINESE NEWS MEDIA --TIGHTLY CONTROLLED
BY THE GOVERNMENT-- MADE NO MENTION OF THE EVENTS OF A DECADE 
AGO.  (SIGNED)
NEB/RW/FC
04-Jun-99 7:05 AM EDT (1105 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.