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6/05/2009

20th anniversary of June 4th

Yeah, there's umbrella police and also the Great Fire Wall... but it's still the 20th anniversary of June 4th. And unless they can block all websites forever, people are going to know about it. And, like I predicted a week ago, I finished Zhao Ziyang's (趙紫陽) Prisoner of State right on time.

After reading the English version, I really want to read the Chinese version. It's a fascinating book about a man who was almost at the top of China, only to be pulled down abruptly and then jailed in his own house for the next 15 years. Not only does the book give a very insightful look at the main men behind China's economic reform, it tells a great story about some of the behind the scene fights between some of the top top officials in the Chinese Communist Party. More on this book later.

20 years ago, I was on the streets with my father, screaming words that meant very little to me. I didn't even know who 趙紫陽 was! I knew 打倒李鵬 - in fact, that's the only thing I remember screaming in the streets of Wan Chai.

I do remember this: I saw on TV that the Chinese army had marched into Beijing and civilians were hurt. Many students were killed. I, at 10, of course didn't know anything more than "that's wrong." Luckily, at 30 (almost), I still know "that's wrong". And that is the basic recognition that every person with a conscious should have.

A moment of silence for those who perished 20 years ago.

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