I'm sure that most of you recognize this iconic photo which was taken on June 5th, 1989, twenty years ago tomorrow. On this day two decades ago a public protest began in Beijing which was a bold affront to the repressive regime in China. The young man in the photo defiantly stood in front of a line of tanks rolling through Tiannamen Square to crush the rebellion. The government at the time put the death toll at 200 to 300 but human rights groups claim that the number should be in the thousands. A Chinese ex-pat was interviewed on the radio this morning and he reminded us that while the young man who stood up to the tanks was a hero, so was the tank driver who chose not to run him down.
Twenty years later there have been significant changes in China with the country taking on the role of manufacturer for the world. The Chinese government holds hundreds of billions of dollars of foreign debt. China has purchased tens of thousands of hectares of prime farmland in African nations to produce food for its massive population. The country has sent men into space and are poised to become a car exporter.
What about human rights? Life is better for the average citizen, without doubt. Still, the government regularly shuts down Youtube and what it views as subversive websites and blogs. Activists continue to be jailed on charges that are more pretense to silence negative opinion than anything else. There are major scandals such as the collapse of schools during last year's earthquake because of corrupt builders and inspectors that quickly get swept under the carpet. When the Olympics took place in Beijing last year reporters were not given the freedom they were promised. There are insightful articles in the Globe and Mail today as well as http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8069781.stm
There is greater religious freedom in China today that twenty years ago but as I have written before, Christians and Christian churches must register with the government or risk severe sanction.
While new human rights laws have been introduced to coincide with the twentieth anniversary of Tiannamen Square, we need to keep our eyes and ears open to what it happening in China. Not surprisingly, what happened twenty years ago is not recorded in Chinese history books and a younger generation isn't taught about the uprising.
Do you think there is much point to governments and faith communities registering concern over human rights in a country that is now so powerful?
Yes most definitely we need to continue the pressure on the Chinese government re human rights. The one child policy is still very much enforced and because of Chinese history the Chinese still favour boys over girls. This is not as evident in urban communities where couples who have girls claim to be "OK" with this, however in rural communities boys are what families want. So, they do what they can to get rid of baby girls, either by aborting them or leaving them to die after birth. The fear that is enforced if they have another child forces parents to these extremes. Definitely a human rights issues.
ReplyDeleteI think not to continue to pressure the Chinese government would be to silently condone what they are doing. It would be turning a blind eye. I can't imagine the isolation people living in such conditions must all ready feel.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nancy, for the reminder about the one-child policy and its effects.
ReplyDeleteI agree, pupil, that silence is tacit approval. The Canadian government used to be bold with China on human rights issues but both liberals and conservatives have been muted since trade opened up.
I got an email from one of our readers who works with Chinese immigrants who are citizenship hopefuls.
ReplyDeleteHis observation, based on years of experience, is that the current government has been bolder on human rights issues than the previous liberal government.
This is probably quite true and I appreciate the insight.