Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series of articles written by someone deeply involved in the events leading up to June 4, 1989. The events in this installment begin after the replacement of Zhao Ziyang with Li Peng as China’s prime minister, and the latter’s declaration of martial law. There is extensive discussion about what to do about the looming entry of many soldiers into the city, and it is clear there are fractures in the pro-democracy movement; the author in particular is critical of the students themselves.
- Part 1 is at https://www.yibao.net/2024/04/29/the-things-i-saw-in-may-and-june-1989-1/
- Part 2 is at https://www.yibao.net/2024/05/03/the-things-i-saw-in-may-and-june-1989-2/
- Part 3 is at https://www.yibao.net/2024/05/07/the-things-i-saw-in-april-june-1989-3/
- Part 4 is at https://www.yibao.net/2024/05/09/the-things-i-saw-in-may-and-june-1989-4/
By: Zhou Duo
May 19, 1989 was a memorable day. That night, Li Peng decided to declare martial law, completely fracturing relations between students and intellectuals. This was an important turning point. The bloody massacre on June 4th was in the end fated by three events: Hu Yaobang being pushed out in 1987 as the “anti-bourgeois liberalization” campaign gathered steam; the April 26th People’s Daily editorial; and this May 20th martial-law order. In this way, Deng Xiaoping personally ruined the great cause of reform he himself had previously created step by step. It is as simple as that.
That day, I reluctantly got out of bed and rode my bike to the Jimen Hotel in a daze. When I arrived at the reception desk in the foyer, I was inquiring about the meeting location when Wang Dan walked up and stood next to me. He had also just arrived. We went upstairs and entered the conference room on the second floor. It was almost half past ten and the meeting had just begun. Present at the meeting were Chen Ziming, Chen Xiaoping, Liu Liqun, Ye Yan, Yang Baikui, Liu Weihua, Wang Dan, Wang Zhiyuan, Chen Mingyuan, and several others whom I did not recognize. It is said that there were also representatives from the Citizens’ Federation. Chen Ziming presided over the meeting. He said that it was supposed to be hosted by Jun Tao, but his hand had been injured by a car door and he had gone to the hospital that morning, so Chen was hosting instead. He first talked about the meeting’s purpose, which was nothing more than what he had said in the car the night before: to convene representatives from all walks of life who had been the first to stand up to support the students, and hold “joint meetings” from time to time to communicate information, coordinate action, and support each other. It was not a formal organization, just a series of irregular meetings. Secretarial and logistical work was handled by their institute. Participants from all parties began by exchanging information and introducing the situation.
Source: https://www.yibao.net/2024/06/02/the-things-i-saw-in-april-and-june-1989-5/