
30 Years After Tiananmen, a Chinese Military Insider Warns: Never Forget - zonotope
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/28/world/asia/china-tiananmen-square-massacre.html
======
areoform
If you would like a truly disturbing look into the massacre, read through the
diplomatic cable sent home by the British ambassador -
[https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/UK_cable_on_Tiananmen_Square_...](https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/UK_cable_on_Tiananmen_Square_Massacre)
;

> 5\. FACT. ON ARRIVAL AT TIANANMEN TROOPS FROM SMR HAD SEPARATED STUDENTS AND
> RESIDENTS. STUDENTS UNDERSTOOD THEY WERE GIVEN ONE HOUR TO LEAVE SQUARE BUT
> AFTER FIVE MINUTES APCS ATTACKED. STUDENTS LINKED ARMS BUT WERE MOWN DOWN
> INCLUDING SOLDIERS. _APCS THEN RAN OVER BODIES TIME AND TIME AGAIN TO MAKE
> QUOTE PIE UNQUOTE AND REMAINS COLLECTED BY BULLDOZER. REMAINS INCINERATED
> AND THEN HOSED DOWN DRAINS._

...APCs then ran over bodies time and time again to make "pie" and remains
collected by bulldozer. Remains incinerated and then hosed down drains.

I can never get this image out of my mind. A global future led by the same
people involved in continuing such atrocities is terrifying.

~~~
maxxxxx
I always find it amazing how easy it is for governments to find people who
will commit atrocities for them. This should be a warning for us thinking “I
would never do this”. Most of us probably would go along

~~~
throwaway1997
I think the second point of the cable helps explain this:

> 60 PERCENT ILLITERATE AND ARE CALLED PRIMITIVES... THEY WERE KEPT WITHOUT
> NEWS FOR TEN DAYS AND TOLD THEY WERE TO TAKE PART IN AN EXERCISE. A TV FILM
> WOULD BE MADE OF THE EXERCISE WHICH PLEASED THEM.

~~~
maxxxxx
Don't be arrogant. A lot of "smart" people would go along as well.

~~~
throwaway1997
My point was that they isolated a group of people, who had never been
educated, from the outside world then bribed them with something they wanted.
That is not arrogant.

You do not live in China so it's probably hard for you to understand how our
government controls the flow of information and then uses the ignorance to is
advantage.

~~~
maxxxxx
My point was that a lot of people decide to play along with this stuff. This
is not limited to uneducated people.

~~~
throwaway1997
Your assumption is that I am using "uneducated" as an insult rather than a
fact.

~~~
maxxxxx
That's how it's usually used.

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jyrkesh
Extremely moving piece about a very eloquent woman, not ashamed to admit that
I had teared up by the end.

It really makes you realize what's at stake in politics, whether it's in
China, the US, or anywhere else. This is a country that's gone on to grow into
a top 3 (2?) powerhouse in the world, and then to read that final statement...

> “All this is built on sand. There’s no solid foundation,” she said. “If you
> can deny that people were killed, any lie is possible.”

It's true. We don't think about it day to day, but she's absolutely right. And
we have to be vigilant as citizens about the truth.

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xiaodai
The truth behind Tiananmen Sq is one that tugs at my heart-strings. I still
somehow refuse to believe it's true that soldiers could fire at the people.
The tank-man video is the most humane display of the heroism, not just of the
tank-man, but also the man inside the tank, who refused to mow his compatriot.
I want to make it my life' work to uncover what is true. At least preserve
enough evidence, so that future generations can study this and decide for
themselves.

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dba7dba
I sometimes wondered why Chinese government is SO wickedly scared of any
mention/signaling of the Tiananmen Square protests/massacre.

Reading the diplomatic cable by the British ambassador, it makes sense to me
now.

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UberofXplsgo
A truly tragic moment in history

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bitxbitxbitcoin
Never forget May 35th.

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throwzgaway
It's true that hundreds of people died during the crackdown of the riot.
However the event is sensationalized and exaggerated to a point that people
question the intent of bringing it up again and again.

[https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/89BEIJING18828_a.html](https://wikileaks.org/plusd/cables/89BEIJING18828_a.html)
ALTHOUGH GUNFIRE COULD BE HEARD, GALLO SAID THAT APART FROM SOME BEATING OF
STUDENTS, THERE WAS NO MASS FIRING INTO THE CROWD OF STUDENTS AT THE MONUMENT.
WHEN POLOFF MENTIONED SOME REPORTEDLY EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS OF MASSACRES AT THE
MONUMENT WITH AUTOMATIC WEAPONS, GALLO SAID THAT THERE WAS NO SUCH SLAUGHTER.

[https://youtu.be/GRb4VY2dU4c](https://youtu.be/GRb4VY2dU4c) The actual video
footage of the famous photo of tank running over man.

