June 4: Thirty third anniversary of Tiananmen Square massacre

Tiananmen Square Protests and subsequent crackdown and killings was a watershed moment in China. The country, where all power is wielded by a single party (and by top leaders of the party), brutally crushed pro-democracy voices and aspirations of its very own citizens. The response to the pro-democracy protests, the crackdown defined how (if any) political expression of common Chinese would be. The effects of what happened on June 4, 1989 are palpable even today.

June 4 this year is 33rd anniversary of the incident.

Being a communist country, capitalist market economy was an anathema to Chinese political class. But reforms of 1980s had led to formation of a nascent market economy. There was anger among citizens over corruption, inflation and other issues.

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The protests started after the death of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) general secretary Hu Yaobang in April 1989. At the height of protests, about 1 million people had gathered in Tiananmen Square.

The Chinese state responded brutally. Martial law was declared on May 20. Nearly 300,000 troops were mobilised along with tanks in Beijing.

On June 4, the troops killed many demonstrators who sought to protest in front of the advancing military. Many bystanders were killed.

See Pics | Remembering the tank man on 33rd anniversary of Tiananmen Square Massacre

Estimates of the death toll varied from a few hundred to few thousand. The government made widespread arrests, ensured that the crackdown got little to no coverage in the domestic press. The CCP even demoted officials who it thought were sympathetic toward protesters.

The event remains a taboo topic of discussion in mainland China and will not be officially commemorated by the ruling Communist Party or government.

(With inputs from agencies)

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