Tiananmen Square Massacre Analysis

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Tiananmen Square: A Black Mark On Chinese Communism “Without a struggle there can be no progress”. The Tiananmen Square Massacre is a perfect example of Frederick Douglass’s words. The citizens of China believed the government to be corrupt and restricting, and had been trying unsuccessfully to reform it. The death of Hu Yoabang in April 22, the Chinese Communist Party’s general secretary who encouraged pro-democratic reforms, was really the trigger that citizens of China needed to further their cause of political liberation. Tiananmen Square, a celebrated location and monument containing site, in the center of Beijing, was the ideal setting for the gathering of tens of thousands of college students and general citizens. On June 3, tanks …show more content…
So, seeking to set an example to the country and put a damper on the whole ordeal, the members of the Communist Party expelled Zhao Yang, Hu Qili along with others from the committee. A statement was then released stating that these individuals had made up the the majority who voted in favor of the use of martial law and supposedly “persuaded” the other member of the party to vote in favor as well. Essentially, the CCP ended up justifying their actions by blaming the massacre on a few members. Knowing that without a proper explanation the citizens would continue to erupt everywhere in China furthering their pro-democratic cause (Schiavenza “...Turned Tiananmen to its Advantage.”). The CCP gave multiple “reassuring” public speeches in which they tried to justify the massacre and state that the protesters provoked it on themselves by initiating the fight with the troops and fighting back. The speeches were aimed to appease those who were still skeptical so that they would join any further movements (Schiavenza “Tiananmen Irrelevant”). On an international front, the CCP sent out many pro-democratic overseas movements. A gesture intending to show that the CCP had learned from the demonstrations and was now promoting a democracy, but really a scheme trying to regain its image and the support of onlooking nations knowing full well the …show more content…
With the aid of donations and funding by sympathizing foreign countries pro-democratic movements and reforms were renewed in their sense of vigor and gained many more supporters (Fewsmith). Rallies and protests erupted all over China, the biggest being in Hong Kong where about two million chinese citizens joined together in a march to aid political liberation. These reforms were quite successful as they gained citizens much more power in the government and forced the government to ease their control over the lives of the people. The Communist Party seemed to be at the brink of it’s demise yet has only just managed to keep a steady grip on power (Thomas). Nonetheless, the original aim of the Tiananmen Square protests were to gain more freedoms and achieve somewhat of a democracy. Over the past two decades, economic and political reforms have been able to gain many more freedoms such as the freedom to pursue a career of choice, travel to a destination of choice, marry a person of choice. The government has become a semi-democracy in which there is still communist rule but not the “absolute power” wielding total This steady and positive trend has been established, in which citizens can continue to obtain more freedoms and reforms from the communist party (Ping). The Tiananmen Square Massacre has somehow been able to inspire
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