/'_/\ /'_/| | \ `\ | | | ______ | `\ `\ | | | ______ /'______/\ | |\ `\ `| | | /______/\ | ___ \/| | | |\ `\| | | | ___ \ \ | /'/ \_|/ | | | `\ | | | | | \ \/| | | | __ |_|/' `\__|/' | | | | | | | | \__/_/| | | |__| | | | \/___| |/ China News Digest | |/__/ |/ \_______/(InfoBase June 4 Collection)|_______/ May 12, 1993 **The CND InfoBase Project collects, among other China-related information, materials and/or bibliographical reference to matericals about the Beijing Massacre on June 4, 1989. Please refer to the trailer for more information. No. Subject june3-89.01t # of Lines --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. HEADLINE: 'RENMIN RIBAO' ON CITIZENS' ''DUTY TO ... PROTECT TIANANMEN SQUARE''..............................................................40 2. HEADLINE: STUDENTS LEAVE GUANGDONG GOVERNMENT COMPOUND ............ 30 3. HEADLINE: RAILWAY WORKERS COMMENDED; KEY JIANGSU JUNCTION RETURNS TO NORMAL .............................................................. 31 4. HEADLINE: RAILWAY WORKERS COMMENDED; KEY JIANGSU JUNCTION RETURNS TO NORMAL .............................................................. 22 5. HEADLINE: AGENCY CASTS DOUBT ON PEKING'S ''PUBLIC OPINION OFFENSIVE'' ......................................................... 39 6. HEADLINE: TIANANMEN SQUARE ON 30TH MAY .............................. 68 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. HEADLINE: 'RENMIN RIBAO' ON CITIZENS' ''DUTY TO ... PROTECT TIANANMEN SQUARE''..............................................................40 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOURCE: BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, June 3, 1989, Saturday Peking 'Renmin Ribao' overseas edition in Chinese 1 Jun 89 Some people erected without authorisation a statue of the ''goddess of democracy'' in dignified Tiananmen Square and this evoked various comments among the people. People's common sense tells them that the erection of any monument in Tiananmen Square must first be approved by the government and must be based on the relevant government decree. In the square the Tiananmen rostrum, the flag poles, the Monument to the People's Heroes, the memorial hall, the museum and the Great Hall of the People are all built in good order and the layout is serious and solemn. The square is a site for holding grand ceremonies and major state activities and is an important place for domestic and foreign tourists to visit with reverence. It is the heart of the People's Republic and the focus of the world's attention. All citizens have the duty to cherish and protect Tiananmen Square. This is equal to cherishing and protecting our motherland and our nation and to cherishing and protecting our own rights. The square is sacred. No-one has the right to add any permanent memorial or to remove anything from the square. Such things must not be allowed to happen in China. Even in foreign countries, including some Western countries, similar things are not permitted either. The feelings of the young students who hope to promote the construction of democracy are understandable. Advancing socialist democratic politics is also the hope of all people throughout the country and the objective of the party and government's efforts. The positive demands raised by the young students play a role in promoting the realisation of this objective. However, the erection of a statue of the ''goddess of democracy'' by some people in Tiananmen Square was not a positive action in seeking freedom and democracy; instead, it was a serious distortion of freedom and democracy and showed disrespect for other people's free and democratic rights. Freedom can only exist within the limits permitted by the law. When a citizen exercises his rights and uses his freedom he must not impair state, social or collective interests and must not infringe upon the freedom and rights of other citizens. No-one should be able to act as perversely as he likes. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2. HEADLINE: STUDENTS LEAVE GUANGDONG GOVERNMENT COMPOUND ............ 30 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOURCE: BBC Summary of World Broadcasts, June 3, 1989, Saturday Zhongguo Tongxun She, Hongkong, in Chinese 1152 gmt 31 May 89 The slogan posters put up by demonstrating students in front of the compound of the Guangdong provincial government were all washed away today [31st May]. The front gate of the government compound, which had been closed for some 10 days, was reopened. All the students who had continued their sit-in in front of the government compound have returned to their schools. Traffic order in this area has also been restored. On 16th may, thousands of college students gathered in front of the provincial government compound to express their support for the students in Peking. From that evening, the front gate of the government compound was closed. All officials, senior and junior, had to pass through the small side gate when they came to and left work. Asked about the influence of the student rallies on government work, an official said that government personnel had to face serious disturbances from the loudspeakers during the day and had to leave more people in the offices at night in order to prevent the governemnt offices from being stormed. Under these circumstances work efficiency was lowered. In order to keep abreast of the latest changes in the situation, many people went to the windows to listen to the radio every 30 minutes and then exchanged opinions. As a result of the changing situation, many meetings and documents were held up. As for economic losses, another official said that no strike had occurred in any enterprise, so economic losses were modest. The worrying thing is that the changeable situation may make foreign investors cautious in deciding to invest in China and this may slow down the inflow of foreign capital. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. HEADLINE: RAILWAY WORKERS COMMENDED; KEY JIANGSU JUNCTION RETURNS TO NORMAL .............................................................. 31 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOURCE: (a) Peking home service 0930 gmt 31 May 89 Thanks to the hardworking railway staff members and workers, students from various localities who had come to Peking have either left or are leaving Peking for home by train. In the 13 days from 16th to 28th May, some 200,000 students were sent home from Peking by rail, and over 50,000 others were persuaded to come to Peking. At the same time, railway freight transportation also has remained normal. Since mid-May, large groups of students have poured into Peking from various localities. Some of them even stormed railway stations or blocked and intercepted trains by lying on railway tracks to travel to Peking. This has seriously interrupted regular rail transportation. By taking the interests of the whole into account and workers around the clock, the railway workers have stood fast at their posts. In addition to transporting students from Peking back to their homes, railway workers also have maintained regular freight transportation and fulfilled and sometimes even overfulfilled their loading, unloading and transport plans for key supplies. Recently, the Ministry of Railways sent a telegram to extend its thanks and regards to all railway stff members and workers, public security cadres and policemen, fully affirming their spirit in taking the interests of the whole into account and strictly abiding by discipline, as well as their keen sense of responsibility. At the same time, the ministry also urged all railway workers and public security cadres and policemen to get a clear understanding of the current situation, know their duties, strictly enforce the requirements as stated in a State Council emergency circular on stopping the students from forcing their way into trains bound for Peking, overcome difficulties, fulfil their duties, stand fast at their posts, provide good services, maintain good order on trains and in stations and ensure railway transportation safety. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4. HEADLINE: RAILWAY WORKERS COMMENDED; KEY JIANGSU JUNCTION RETURNS TO NORMAL .............................................................. 22 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOURCE: (b) Zhongguo Xinwen She, Peking, in chinese 1148 gmt 31 May 89 The operation of passenger and cargo trains using the Xuzhou railway junction, which was once blocked by university students who stopped trains and boarded them on their journey to Peking to participate in petitioning is returning to normal. Xuzhou railway traffic link, on which the two arteries of Longhai line and Jinghu line converge, plays an important transportation role. Since 21st May, university students from localities such as Lianyun port and from Anhui had stopped trains at Xuzhou, stormed railway stations there and forced their way on trains, seriously disrupting the normal railway transport operation. At 1700 on 25th May, over 1,000 university students gathered at Xuzhou railway station and were ready to board the No 266 Peking -bound passenger train without tickets. After repeated attempts by the relevant departments from the railway, institutes of higher learning, public security and Xuzhou city to dissuade them, most of the students retreated. But until 0100 on the 26th, there were still more than 200 students who continued steadfastly to lie across the rails. Xuzhou mayor Xu Zhonglin went there and personally talked the students out of it. He led the students away from the railway. No 266 passenger train was able to go through. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. HEADLINE: AGENCY CASTS DOUBT ON PEKING'S ''PUBLIC OPINION OFFENSIVE'' ......................................................... 39 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOURCE: Zhongguo Tongxun She, Hongkong, in Chinese 1132 gmt 1 Jun 89 Peking's press, radio and television stations have carried or broadcast voluminous letters and cables ''calling for a halt to turmoil'' over the past two days. Those letters and cables shared one thing in common anonymity or pseudonyms. For example, many have voiced their advice to the sit-in students in Tiananmen to go back to their campuses as quickly as possible. Among them were anonymous letters and cables ''Seven middle-aged intellectuals in Peking' ', ''Ten residents of Peking' ', ''A CCP party branch in Sichuan'', ''Forty-four high school students in Hunan'' and ''Some young pioneers in Peking' '. For another example, in the wake of the erection of ''the Goddess of Democracy'' in Tiananmen Square, the press has carried letters expressing complaints, asking the government to remove it as quickly as possible. Such letters were signed by ''A middle-aged intellectual in Peking' ', ''Somelabour models of Dongcheng district'', ''A quarter of a million workers and staff of Peking's rural building workforce in the building industry'' and ''Some citizens (three men and two women) of the republic''. There is no denying that those voices and their demands were well meaning, but the anonymity of those letters and cables cannot but draw contempt from some people If those people oppose turmoil with a clear-cut stand, why aren't they open and aboveboard and put down their real names? The press at present tends to be ''unanimous'' about public opinion. ' Beijing Ribao' and ' Beijing Wanbao' have in recent days organised a series of discussion meetings, with labour models of the industrial, communication and transportation system, the city building system, the financial and trade system, the environmental sanitation system and the public security system, delivering speeches to express where they stood and to firmly oppose turmoil. Similar items have covered the front pages of these two newspapers. People are beginning to worry Will such practice typified by ''Workers, peasants and soldiers join forces to fight to gether'', ''Organs expressing where they stand at every tier'', ''Everyone is asked to express where he stands'' and ''Mass repudiation'' be really effective as propaganda? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6. HEADLINE: TIANANMEN SQUARE ON 30TH MAY .............................. 68 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- SOURCE: (a) Zhongguo Tongxun She, Hongkong, in Chinese 1150 gmt 30 May 89 On the eve of 1st June, Tiananmen Square, which for 19 days has been taken over by university students, was still a human ocean with waves of flags. But there was an additional streak of mystery and a mood of puzzlement in the atmosphere of the square, detected by this reporter when he was there covering the event. Martial law decreed by the authorities was still in force. But the students have removed dozens of picket lines in the square. Except for the area surrounding the Monument to the People's Heroes, the whole student camp has been opened to the public. There are reports that new student leaders have been elected, but not a trace of these people could be found, despite the search by this reporter in the square. Students have rejected the good-hearted proposal to retreat from the square, at the same time they have failed to pinpoint exactly the practical significance of their persistence to stay in the square until 20th June. . . [ellipsis as received] Standing on the base platform of the monument and looking at the continuous flow of citizens, with heel close upon heel and shoulder chafing shoulder, this reporter was at a loss as to what to feel. The statue of the ''goddess of democracy'', unveiled at noon yesterday [29th May], immediately became a new focus in Tiananmen Square. Tens of thousands of residents rushed in eagerness to the square. Many had pictures taken before the ''goddess'' statue. However, erecting such a ''goddess'' statue in the solemnity of Tiananmen Square has met with the objections of the Tiananmen Square administration office and some other people. It is doubtful how many days this ''goddess'' can remain standing. In the sunlight, hundreds of vermilion school flags were blowing in the wind. But inside the tents under the flags the sitting-in students had already started ''consolidating their ranks and steamlining their policies''. This reporter noticed that those who stayed in the square all the time to maintain their sit-in could not exceed 10,000 people. Two students from Jiangxi Normal University told this reporter that they would return to school to resume their studies. But there was still a small number of their schoolmates staying behind. A medical student from Hubei Medical College has set up a simple health station in the square. A male student on duty there informed this reporter that over 1,000 students from his college had come to Peking to show their support to the students, but only a little more than 10 students have remained in the sit-in in the square. Inside a canvas shed beside the monument, this reporter talked to a Peking Unversity student, who, scruffy and sloppy in his appearance, was a core element in the student movement. According to his revelation, to break the silence over recent days, close to 1,000 people from various sectors of the capital have signed up for the hunger-strike, which is to be staged at Xinhuamen and in Tiananmen Square. The hunger-strike was not staged as scheduled (at 1500 [local time] on the 30th) because they were stopped by the desperate efforts of some kind-hearted people. He said that the retreat of large groups of students from the square is a tactical move. They have returned to their homeprovinces to better conduct propaganda to the masses and to deepen and widen the democratic movement. When this reporter mentioned the protest in front of the public security department, with banners inscribed with the words ''the secret arrest has revealed their ugly faces'', the student said that at around 0100 yesterday morning, a standard committee member of the square's Workers Autonomous Federation and two other workers were arrested by the authorities and are being interrogated. He was very worried that in the days ahead the authorities would take action against the students in the square. ''We have achieved a great victory in waking up the masses. We will persist right up to 20th June.'' As he said this, he showed signs of neither optimism nor pessimism. +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Executive Editor: Bing Wen in Ottawa, Canada | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+ | China News Digest (CND) InfoBase covers the following areas: | | History : WWII, Cultural Revolution, June 4, Olympics | | Service : visa/PR, PRC-doc, tax, insurance, travel/living | | Academics : job, conference/workshop, societies, projects | | Other : org intro, book review, community activities | | ------ * ------ * ------ | | To contribute, please send to CND-IB@CND.ORG | +--------------------------------------------------------------------------+