Until June 4^th, hope had been high that it might be possible the crisis would pass without bloodshed. The Chinese press had favorably covered the wave of peaceful demonstrations that had swept through most major cities. Troops had refused to enforce martial law, choosing instead to mingle with the students and workers. But there was to be no special Chinese solution- only the old solution of State violence. The central government, which had been without a voice for days, reflecting the profound division at the highest level of the State, finally gave the order that moved the tanks. The horror that brought the demonstrations for democracy in Tiananmen Square to an end sent shock waves throughout the world. Not since the time of Stalin had truth and lies shifted in such swift review as in Deng Xiaoping’s China.

In this century, mass non-violent and libertarian movements have astonished governments again and again. With their special combination of courage and patience, the Chinese people will make their way to a better future, one where “a hundred flowers blossom” and “a hundred schools of thought contend”. This saga continues.

This book- which consists of original documents (translated for the first time into English) of speeches, handbills, posters, manifestos and interviews from leading activists including Chai Ling, Wu’er Kaixi, Fang Lizhi, Ma Suifang, Liu Xiao bo and others- captures the personal and political struggles of today’s Chinese revolutionaries. It situates the Democracy Movement in its historical context and covers its development inside and outside China to the present day. The authenticity, scope and depth of this collection makes it an indispensable resource document.

“…present(s) the sights and sounds heard during the two-month period through the writings and recollections of the demonstrators themselves.”--Ottawa Citizen

Table of Contents

Preface by J. Frank Harrison

Foreword by George Woodcock

Introduction by Mok Chiu Yu

SECTION ONE: THE EVENTS- A CHRONOLOGY

The 1989 Democracy Movement

SECTION TWO: THEORETICAL ANALYSES

1)    Wang Dan, The Star of Hope Rises in Eastern Europe

2)    Wang Dan, On Freedom of Speech for the Opposition

3)    Ren Wanding, Why Did the Rally in Memory of Hu Yaobang Turn Into a Democracy Movement

4)    Ren Wanding, Reflections on the Historical Character of the Democracy Movement

5)   Our “April Student Movement” and the “April Fifth Movement”

6)    On One-Party Dictatorship

7)    X.X. Yeung, For a Socialist Multi-Party System in China

8)    Some Thoughts on the Chinese Communist Party

9)    Hue Yu, Hoping For a Brighter Future

10)  Ma Siufang, Statement of a Tiananmen Square Hunger Striker

11)  Tian Chun, A Critique of ASUBU

12)  Su Shaozhi, The Origin and Results of China’s 1989 Democracy Movement

SECTION THREE: Chinese SOCIETY OPPOSES THE STATE

Student Comment

13)  The Shortcomings of the Stalinist Political System

14)  An Outline of the Communist Party

15)  Who Causes the Turmoil?

16)  Talking with Two Workers

17)  A Short Commentary on the Slogan, “Down With the Communist party

18)  The Ten Differences Between the Patriotic Movement and the Cultural Revolution

19)  The Patriotic-Democratic Movement Compared with the Turmoil of the Cultural Revolution

20)  For the Democracy Fighters

21)  Statement of the May 13^th Hunger Strikers

22)  A Declaration of Emergency to all People of the Country from the People of the Capital

23)  A Statement for Citizens concerning the Army in Beijing

24)  A Statement for the Soldiers

25)  The Most Dangerous Emergency

26)  An Open Letter to Our Brothers, the Soldiers

27)  An Open Letter to All Soldiers in the People’s Liberation Army

28)  A Statement to All Soldiers

29)  To the Worker’s Picket Group

30)  Who Created the Turmoils of the Last Forty Years?

31)  What do Factional Disputes Reveal?

Response to Workers

32)  Letter to the People of Beijing

33)  Ten Polite Questions for the CCP

34)  Letter to Compatriots of the Nation

35)  Letter to the Students

36)  An Open Letter to the Students

37)  Letter to the Workers of the Capital

38)  Declaration of the Preparatory Committee of the Beijing Autonomous Worker’s Federation (BWAF)

39)  Public Notice “Number One” of the BWAF

40)  Public Notice “Number Two” of the BWAF

41)  Declaration of the BWAF Preparatory Committee on Behalf of the Workers

42)  The Initial Programme of BWAF

43)  The People in Command

44)  Aims of the Beijing Construction Worker’s Autonomous Union

45)  An Open Letter to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress

46)  Declaration of the Guandong Worker’s Autonomous Union

47)  Our Suggestions

48)  I Declare My Views

49)  The Choice Between Conscience and Party Spirit- An Open Letter to Party Members

50)  Support the Actions of the Students!

51)  Quit the Young Communist League!

52)  Communist Party Members, Step Forward!

53)  Urging Deng Xiaoping to Admit His Mistakes- An Open Letter to the CCP

54)  Letter to the People

55)  Statement on Quitting the Party

56)  Quit the CCP and Establish a Society for the Promotion of the Chinese Democracy Movement

The Doubts of Soldiers

57)  From the Bottom of a Soldier’s Heart

58)  A Statement to All Soldiers in the PLA who have been Ordered to Enter Beijing

59)  A Letter to All Soldiers

60)  An Open Letter to the Students

61)  A Letter to All Soldiers who are Ordered to Enter Beijing to Impose Martial Law: The Intellectuals Comment

62)  Declaration of May 17, 1989

63)  An Extremely Urgent Appeal to the People of Beijing

64)  To All Compatriots A Chinese Solidarity in the Making

65)  Introducing the “Capital Union”

SECTION FOUR: INTERVIEWS WITH THREE LEADING PERSONALITIES

66)  Two Interviews with Wuer Kaixi

67)  An Interview with Chai Ling

68)  An Interview with Fang Lizhi

SECTION FIVE: WITNESS TO THE MASSACRE

69)  Chai Ling’s Sense of Foreboding

70)  The Massacre in Tiananmen Square

71)  Concerning June 3-4, 1989

72)  Statement of ASUBU to Compatriots Everywhere

73)  This is How They Died

74)  Chai Ling, I AM Still Alive

75)  After the Massacre