1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre 'unimportant history' says young Chinese people

[Invisible Sky Magician]

Tiananmen anniversary unimportant to China's youth

Reporting from Beijing -- In his baggy shorts hanging below the knees, Puma sneakers and spiky hair, Wang Kangkang is hip to the present, clueless about the past.

Although he comes often to see the nightly ceremony of the Chinese flag being lowered at Tiananmen Square, he doesn't know what happened here in 1989 and doesn't really care.

"Well, it happened before I was born" the 19-year-old said, looking down at his sneakered feet as the crowd shuffled out of the vast expanse of concrete on a balmy evening. "In any case, it's history. Why should we dwell on the past?"

On June 4, 1989, hundreds of unarmed civilians were killed as the army made its final push to crush a student-led pro-democracy demonstration in Tiananmen Square. As the 20th anniversary approaches, the government has fortified its extraordinary information blockade on the bloody crackdown. Anybody in the country trying to search on the Internet for information about the square, one of Beijing's most popular tourist attractions, is likely to get the message "This page cannot be displayed."

But to a large extent, the efforts are overkill: Apathy as much as censorship has pushed the events of 1989 into the dark recesses of history.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...381,full.story

Alright, so if Chinese people think the 1989 Tiananman Square Massacre is unimportant and that China shouldn't dwell on the past, then my question to them is this:

Why are they still demanding Japan to apologize for their half a century old WW2 war crimes? It's only history right? It's even older than the Tiananman Massacre!

[Chaigidel]

because its all a game, a sick petty game.

[Boyar Son]

because its all a game, a sick petty game.

yup. how the world works.winners and loser etc. but you can't blame anyone for that since everyone does it everyday.

[cottontail]

Tiananmen anniversary unimportant to China's youth



http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...381,full.story

Alright, so if Chinese people think the 1989 Tiananman Square Massacre is unimportant and that China shouldn't dwell on the past, then my question to them is this:

Why are they still demanding Japan to apologize for their half a century old WW2 war crimes? It's only history right? It's even older than the Tiananman Massacre!

You've got the opinion of one guy, and you think you have the opinion of the billion people in China

And yes, Japan should apologize for its war crimes, not only against China, but against everyone, as Germany has done.

Just because China won't admit to killing its own citizens does not mean Japan should not admit to murdering millions of other people.

[2-D Ron]

You've got the opinion of one guy, and you think you have the opinion of the billion people in China

And yes, Japan should apologize for its war crimes, not only against China, but against everyone, as Germany has done.

Just because China won't admit to killing its own citizens does not mean Japan should not admit to murdering millions of other people.

America should apologize for dropping 2 Nukes on Japan, or is it a case of History is only written by the Winners?

[Chukada1]

America should apologize for dropping 2 Nukes on Japan, or is it a case of History is only written by the Winners?

Apologize for what exactly? America's atomic bombing was justified. The Rape of Nanking wasn't.

[Santini]

You know what?
I agree.
Who really cares about a bunch of overprivillaged richo collegates from the 80's
From everything I've read, and from what I gathered being in china this january, nobody really cares. A bunch of rich and spoiled chinese students, suddenly terrified that system reforms were about to remove their "god given right" to positions and power within the party, and horrified that they might actually have to EARN rank, had a little riot.

Then the army showed up, and their daddies couldn't protect them. Ooops.

You want some history the chinese actually find relevant?

Try the cultural revolution.

[scottishranger]

You know what?
I agree.
Who really cares about a bunch of overprivillaged richo collegates from the 80's
From everything I've read, and from what I gathered being in china this january, nobody really cares. A bunch of rich and spoiled chinese students, suddenly terrified that system reforms were about to remove their "god given right" to positions and power within the party, and horrified that they might actually have to EARN rank, had a little riot.

Then the army showed up, and their daddies couldn't protect them. Ooops.

Umm... False

[Santini]

Umm... False

Uuummmm... not false

Perhaps some enlightened debate is in order?

[Da Skinna]

You know what?
I agree.
Who really cares about a bunch of overprivillaged richo collegates from the 80's
From everything I've read, and from what I gathered being in china this january, nobody really cares. A bunch of rich and spoiled chinese students, suddenly terrified that system reforms were about to remove their "god given right" to positions and power within the party, and horrified that they might actually have to EARN rank, had a little riot.

Then the army showed up, and their daddies couldn't protect them. Ooops.

You want some history the chinese actually find relevant?

Try the cultural revolution.

Which was a Great Leap Forward for them...

You have a few people who were rich collegiates who were nervous about the Communist Party closing ranks... and then you had tens of the thousands who were nervous about a closed-rank party pigeonholing and isolating the reformists and dictating the country's future.

You have some skewed view, my friend.

[Oswald von Wolkenstein]

*

[RomanSoldier9001]

[QUOTE]

You know what?
I agree.
Who really cares about a bunch of overprivillaged richo collegates from the 80's
From everything I've read, and from what I gathered being in china this january, nobody really cares. A bunch of rich and spoiled chinese students, suddenly terrified that system reforms were about to remove their "god given right" to positions and power within the party, and horrified that they might actually have to EARN rank, had a little riot.

Then the army showed up, and their daddies couldn't protect them. Ooops.

They were more than students in the protest you realy have to tell me your sources because they contratic a lot mine.

But teenagers don't really care about anything in general anyway that's nothing new.

Well, they're teenagers...we tend to be teenagers

Well I guess that a lot of protesters in 89 were also tennagers so perhaps teens care more than people give credit ; not to mention than probaly a big part of twcenter members(including me) are teens and well here we are discusing..


I realy like this:

"This is the stupid generation. They were raised on Coca-Cola and Western movies and they're very isolated from their country's history," said Zhang Shihe, 56, a blogger and political activist.
Phelim Kine, a senior Asia analyst for Human Rights Watch, said the indifference of young Chinese about Tiananmen Square was more a result of censorship than willful ignorance.

If anything, when young Chinese raise their voices, they are more likely to be chanting patriotic slogans, demonstrating in favor of their government rather than against.

Who said that Capitalism-Free-Market and Communism plus Nationalism dont work?XD Dont know why you TWcenter communists are always whining about your chinsese comrades appear to be quite happy with how things are...And after all isnt that what you suport?

[hellheaven1987]

I actually agree Tiananmen Square Massacre is quite unimportant event...

[Prince of Darkness]

I actually agree Tiananmen Square Massacre is quite unimportant event...

Unimportant for you, important for the ones who died and their family.
Also Zhao Ziyang and other communists.

[hellheaven1987]

Unimportant for you, important for the ones who died and their family.
Also Zhao Ziyang and other communists.

Perhaps, but it is also quite unfortunately to point out that death is not most important part in history; it is how those events affect the future course that really matter. Tiananmen Square Massacre has quite little effect on Chinese politic development except its stink CCP's international reputation, which is already bad anyway.

Well it is a very important event, for the west of course. Additionally it changed how universities worked in china, since the government began to see them as a threat.

For West? Besides a few complaining West really did little overall. It might change the relation between universities and Chinese government, but the relation was/is already not harmony every since Cultural Revolution.

[Gromovnik]

Unimportant for you, important for the ones who died and their family.

and we are all those who died and their families...

[craziii]

You know what?
I agree.
Who really cares about a bunch of overprivillaged richo collegates from the 80's
From everything I've read, and from what I gathered being in china this january, nobody really cares. A bunch of rich and spoiled chinese students, suddenly terrified that system reforms were about to remove their "god given right" to positions and power within the party, and horrified that they might actually have to EARN rank, had a little riot.

Then the army showed up, and their daddies couldn't protect them. Ooops.

You want some history the chinese actually find relevant?

Try the cultural revolution.

woah, you are very very sensible sir. I bow to thee. one of the very few who actually knows some facts.

edit: forgot to add, how many of you guys actually know people who were there? how informed are your opinions?

[hellheaven1987]

edit: forgot to add, how many of you guys actually know people who were there? how informed are your opinions?

Very informative since ROC loves to use Tiananmen as an example of the evil deeds of CCP.

[LoZz]

given the awful bias that one can only imagen that goes on in china's state education system is it any wonder its viewed as " not important?"

[Tiberios]

given the awful bias that one can only imagen that goes on in china's state education system is it any wonder its viewed as " not important?"

No.