Tiananmen Square survivors mark anniversary of massacre, seek reform

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

Source: The Associated Press via Yahoo News

By ANITA CHANG, Associated Press Writer Mon Jun 4, 3:18 PM ET
BEIJING - For the first time in 18 years, Ding Zilin marked the anniversary of her son's death with a visit to the place where he was shot amid a violent government crackdown on protests at Tiananmen Square.

Police usually are quick to snuff out any memorials in Beijing for those killed in the crackdown that culminated in June 4, 1989, while China's government still calls the seven-week Tiananmen protest a counter-revolutionary riot and has yet to fully disclose what happened. But with China's human rights record under renewed scrutiny ahead of the 2008 Olympics, survivors of the bloody crackdown in Beijing marked the event's 18th anniversary on Monday by demanding political reform.

And Ding, who for years was placed under house arrest during Tiananmen anniversaries and other sensitive times, wept on the eve of the anniversary as she placed a photo of her son on the spot where he died a few kilometers west of Tiananmen.

"It's been 18 years and I felt like I let him down and let down the others who died with him," she said of her son, who was killed as he hid behind a flower bed from soldiers enforcing martial law on the night of June 3. He had turned 17 the day before.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070604/ap_on_re_as/china_remembering_tiananmen_7

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I'll never forgive Bill Clinton, who campaigned in 1992 on a promise to "stop coddling dictators" in China for, upon election, selling out these brave souls and changing his position to that of continuing the Nixon-Reagan-Bush policies of allowing corporations to enrich themselves on the suffering of the Chinese people. I would have expected it from a GOP president, but Clinton promised to and should have worked to promote human rights in China. Instead, he rewarded the butchers of Beijing by continuning to grant most-favored nation trading staus to China, eventually delinking human rights from its annual renewal-then making it permanant, allowing China's entry into the WTO. The corporatists in government swore that this would lead to reforms, but it has not-and they knew damn well that was the case.

[Kajsa]

1. It's a small ray of hope

to see the Chinese people are allowed to commemorate the
anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Or are they?

Previously, the only place it was allowed was in Hong Kong.

[ckramer]

2. Without Tiananmen Square massacre, China today probably would be worse off than Iraq

In that sense, the sacrifice was well worth it.

[Kajsa]

4. I'm not following you.

?

[David__77]

5. I wouldn't say that's true.

If you are saying what I think you are saying, I would argue that China could have avoided following the Russian path which might have ended in US domination without killing many protesters and bystanders in 1989. Interestingly, it seems like Russia is following China's path more these days.

The "sacrifice" was not one that the Chinese government had the moral right to make. While I am not one to say that the US should in any way interfere with China's internal affairs, I sympathize with Chinese people who are struggling against corruption and exploitation.

[otherlander]

3. K&R

[David__77]

6. I want uniform standards.

I personally believe trade with China is fine, and so is trade with Cuba. But I would prefer that if there are to be different tests applied to other governments for there to be open trade relations, these standards should be uniform. Let's not have a certain standard for China that is not also applied to Cuba or Saudi Arabia or Poland, for example.

[Kajsa]

7. I agree, David.

We should allow trade with Cuba.

I wonder if we will see the trade embargo lifted anytime
in the next decade.

[David__77]

8. It won't be lifted any time soon, in my opinion.

Too volatile and the status quo is too comfy for both parties. If there is Cuban oil boom, that may change things, and that is a real possibility. I don't see "regime change" occurring in Cuba any time soon.

[Raine]

9. Clinton disappointed me too

I expected something better but then he gives them favored nation status and now we end up with poison in our pet's food and poisoned toothpaste.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

10. the betrayal on china was the number one reason i went to nader in 2000

i do wonder what gore's thoughts on the matter are these days though...

[Hekate]

11. Yeah, those Nader voters really punished Clinton--didn't you?

Sad.

Hekate

[Hekate]

12. That was an incredibly chilling event, and China is still not to be trusted on human rights.nt

[Forkboy]

13. Kick