Remember Tiananmen

Twenty years ago today, the PLA violently cracked down on the anti government demonstrators, mostly students, in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. And while this wasn't the only protest in China, it was the most iconic. This happened during the turbulent years that marked the end of many of the world's communist regimes. I guess that's why the chinese government reacted so violently, they were frightened for their own survival. I was 4 years old at the time, so I don't remember the events. Actually I don't know if they were reported in my country, because we were still in a communist regime at the time.

I love this picture. One man against 4 tanks. He is one of this world's great unknown heroes. A metaphor for the struggle against an oppressive regime. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't. But that doesn't mean that you should ever stop fighting for what you believe.

Another event 20 years ago was Solidarity's victory in the first (somewhat) free parliamentary elections in post-war Poland, which in term was the beginning of the end for communism in Eastern Europe. How about that? On the same day, in one part of the world democracy was won, and in another it was crushed.

What I want to say is that we should never forget the events, those who have died, and what they were fighting for. I think China will one day be a democracy and they will acknowledge the events of that day. People will eventually have a high enough standard of life that they'll start demanding freedoms that economic prosperity can never replace. If that is 10 years or 100 years from now, violently or peacefully, I don't know. All I can do is hope.