On Tuesday, April 11, 2006 while millions were tuned-in to ABC’s The Ten Commandments or FOX’s American Idol, I took a break from my traditional Tuesday night date with American Idol to tune-in to PBS’s Frontline documentary: Tank Man written, produced and directed by Anthony Thomas. I certainly was not disappointed. The special was one of the most interesting and informative 90 minutes I ever invested in television and essential to understand the world we live in and the future of the planet.
I remember the wall-to-wall 1989 news coverage, but honestly it was a decade later before I realized the import of the events surrounding the Beijing demonstrations of June 3-5 1989. Primarily because of the scarcity of cogent background information and a personal apathy regarding the subject in general. Like perhaps the majority of mankind, the most significant social movement of the 20th century fell to the back pages of my consciousness because, by all appearances, it seemed to have not just failed, but have been utterly crushed. Actually, as revealed in the Frontline piece, that wasn’t quite the case. It actually did succeed in initiating significant changes in China. It also very quietly changed the world.
The narrative begins as a voice behind the piercing image of a solitary man confronting a column of battle tanks and stopping them dead in their tracks. It quickly pans to immerse the audience in the awesome scale of Beijing’s Tian’anmen Square designed to symbolically emphesize the insignificance of the individual vs. awesome might of the state explaining that even corporate giants the likes of Google, Yahoo, Cisco and Microsoft have caved in the pressure of entrenched power and enticing profits.
The lone man who took such a dramatic stand after weeks of rage that climaxed in such egregious violence wanted to change China. Ironically the most immediate change was in the Soviet Union as demonstrations there ushered in overdue reforms under Michail Gorbachov.
According to Frontline the protests began April 27 1989. (Frontline does assert that resentment resulting from governmental abuses and inaction regarding promised reforms had been brewing for over forty years (however more accurate information indicates that the immediate events leading up to the Tien’anmen Square revolt began April 15, 1989 at the funeral of reformist Deng Xiaoping.
This protest against 40 years of repression became nationwide and eventually mobilized 1/10 of China’s population including military personnel. In the coming weeks countless thousands, an estimated 100,000, converged on the capitol. Many in the crowds actually anticipated the fall of the government. The Communists were confident that they could handle a student protest, but worker involvement scared Chinese government. This is because the Communists had themselves used workers to wrest control from the Chinese Nationalists and end the 1927 to 1950 Chinese Civil War. A strategic split developed between moderates and hardliners as to what measures should be implemented to address the growing unrest. Obviously, the hardliners won out. Marshall Law was declared and the Army was summoned in.
People flooded the streets of Beijing stalling and appealing to the soldiers to allow their countrymen to peacefully air their grievances. Unwilling to brutalize young people, mothers with children in arms and a peaceful protest, the Army withdraws four days later. This only sealed the fate of the demonstrators when the Chinese leadership felt humiliated before the eyes of the world and feared a total collapse.
Their hearts calloused, 10 days later, June 3rd 1989, the CCP launched a new invasion with orders given to the Army commanders to clear the square by 6 a.m. June 4th.
Citizens responded by barricading invasion routes coming into the city with concrete barriers, overturned vehicles and living bodies. A demonstrator ignited an overturned bus blocking the path of an advancing column of troops and the massacre began early evening June 3 around 9 p.m.
People reported Soldiers firing indiscriminately in all directions. Killing people on their balconies, in their homes and kitchens stories above ground. Ammunition was field grade… designed to not only kill, but to also inflict horrendous gaping wounds.
The Army plowed and blasted their way through barricade after barricade of overturned busses and human walls.
The designated ground zero for columns of troops and tanks advancing from four different directions… Tian’anmen Square.
The square became the sight of an eerie standoff. Protesters with their backs more or less against the wall clustered in the heart of the spacious square now a vacuous no man’s land surrounded by heavily armed troops, columns of tanks and armored vehicles flanking them on all sides. Unarmed civilians approaching them in the open square to appeal to the consciences of their countrymen were gunned down.
At 4:15 a.m. all lights on the square are shut off.
There was then a dead silent pause. Observers next report hearing the awful and mangling sound of the tanks as they began to crush and smash their way to the center of the square. (It is not clear in the Frontline piece whether people were being rolled over by the tanks because there was no mention of people screaming out.)
Rivers of troops now flood in from all directions.
The encircled students were offered amnesty if Square is vacated.
Although the majority voted to stay by a show of hands, wanting to avoid further bloodshed, the student leaders order their followers to leave. The sun is still yet to rise.
Later that morning people walk hand-in-hand and try to re-enter the Square. They are told by Army commanders to leave. They turn to leave and are fired upon anyway. This deadly cat-and-mouse game is repeated more than a half dozen times throughout the day. Even doctors, nurses and ambulance crews were targeted, fired upon and killed.
The narrator describes: “Terror tactics… designed to shock, terrify and awe…”
Estimates of casualties range between 180 to 3,000 killed and 3,000 to 10,000 wounded. The official government report lists only 240 dying and 7,000 wounded. The actual tally will never be known.
It was in the wake of this carnage that the Tank Man appeared and performed his remarkable feat of defiance on the afternoon of the 5th as victorious Chinese Army brigades were exiting the city. In all honesty the whole episode seemed entirely spontaneous. A modestly dressed man in a European white shirt and slacks looked to be on his way home carrying a small white sack of groceries in each hand. As he is almost across the wide avenue he sees a line of four battle tanks and a dozen armored vehicles approaching at a fairly brisk pace. He suddenly just turns, faces the oncoming hulks and stops. As if unaware of the man even standing there, the lead tank continues toward him at a threatening speed. The world holds its breath in anticipation of a gruesome finale to this dance with death… when surprisingly, (especially in light of the previous days events), a miracle happens. With only inches to spare, the lead tank stops!
The man, the tank and the heartbeat of the world stand completely still.
Still not sure what would happen, all were amazed to once again see the man, out muscled and out-gunned, make the first move. If his words were inaudible, his body language was unmistakable as he defiantly waved his groceries at the steel monster obviously demanding that they “leave his city!” He actually moves in to make sure the aggressor understands him clearly. As if on cue, this is when the dance begins in earnest. Possessing the brute force to literally squash him like a bug, it is the tank Commander’s turn to execute an unexpected move. He orders his driver to maneuver around the angry man to his right. The Tank Man cuts them off again. They stop, hesitate and swing back to the left. Again he blocks their path. Then it really gets interesting. The man climbs on top of the tank and begins banging on the turret. (Mind you now, as many as ten thousand people have been splattered all over the ground in less than the last 24 hours.) Everyone one knows that he has taken his protest one step too far for sure. The hatch opens. Someone emerges. Angry words are exchanged. The hatch closes and the tank trudges forward the man jumps down in front of the tank and is almost injured. They dance once more. To the left. To the right. To the left. And once again the menacing hulk stands silently rocking because of the sudden halts as Tank Man continues to launch his angry tirade.
There are mixed views as to who it was that emerged from the crowd and hustled him away. Fellow citizens? Or the Chinese police?
There were many public executions on public TV in the ensuing days of the protest. It is reported that tens of thousands were arrested. Some are reported to still be in prison today. However, not knowing exactly who it was that absconded with the Tank Man only magnifies his mystique. Is he still alive? There are several conflicting reports of heroic rescues, journeys back to the all-to-ordinary obscurity of a billion person population and reports of brutalization and summary execution. Like the fates of so many courageous individuals moved to selfless action in the pursuit of liberty over those days and weeks… we simply don’t know.
Since, unbeknownst to Tank Man and his fellows, they have changed China beyond recognition. The One Party, CCP government instituted Special economic zones and irresistible Incentives for Foreign Investment. Historians are already marking China’s rise as the story of the 20th century.
The students of Tien’anmen Square hit the streets to mobilize the populace in pursuit of social, economic and political reform in China. No one expected a totalitarian government obviously in full control of its military to do anything but laugh off even the suggestion of a deal with dissidents. But, astonishingly, a deal was struck.
The deal: We, the CCP, will not stop economic reform… But, (ominously), we will stop any attempt at political reform…
No opposition to one party rule in exchange for material wealth.
When confronted with the immortal words of Howie Mandel: “Deal… or No Deal?”
The Chinese en masse said: “Deal!!!”
China’s economy now grows at a staggering 9% a year. While whole production lines moved from the U.S. and Europe. Entire new cities emerged from the Chinese landscape. Many new and converted cities devoted their entire workforce and infrastructure to one specific industry.
We do the Research & Development in the West. China builds, manufactures and ships. But the real crux of the deal is that China is also the world’s largest consumer.
History records that never has any people gained more wealth in a shorter period of time.
The narrative then returns to a more demure tone as the darker side of ‘the Deal’ is unearthed.
The Chinese social contract has worked well for the party, the elite and the middle class. Foreign corporations have been salivating for decades over the prospect of tapping into China’s low-waged, disciplined workforce and 1 billion consumers. Lucrative tax concessions opened the floodgates and the feeding frenzy was on.
But what has resulted is two Chinas.
China ‘A’ is big cities and modern urbanization with its commensurate escalation in crime.
China ‘B’ is the developing and underdeveloped countryside, the majority of the population. The poor getting ever more poorer. Suffering lack of education, safe drinking water and (agricultural) infrastructure being bought off with the foundationless promise of land ownership. Ownership that did not exist under the Maoist regime, but at least the Maoist were honest enough not to pretend.
Another downside to the new Deal is that the educational and health care systems have totally collapsed and less than one penny per year is spent per person on health care or they must pay for it themselves. The centuries old rural economy is evaporating. Farmlands are being confiscated and farm communities are being bullied off their land by thugs hired by greedy developers. Consequently, poor peasants are on the move everywhere. The largest human migration in history.
Young people are leaving the countryside, and aged parents, in droves. They are flocking to the cities and industrial centers in search of 13 hour a day, 7 day a week jobs that pay a paltry $120 a month. ($1.31 per hr.) If you get sick you are asked to leave or are fired. 12 sleep to a room in factory dorms. And, in an ironic reverse of historical western discrimination, there is preference for young female workers as opposed to males.
The pay is low, the hours are long, there are no rights, no sick pay or compensation for injury. There is massive exposure to hazardous materials. The government does not listen to grievances or represent the interests of the workers.
Migrant workers contribute to China’s economic advancement, but do not benefit. Many construction workers are not paid only fed with promises of pay at the end of the year. (Can you imagine the equivalent of the Sears and Trump Towers being erected with such labor practices?) At end of year many are cheated by unscrupulous contractors and subcontractors.
Underclass resentment is spreading. The level of unrest is rising. In a recent year there were 50,000 demonstrations and incidents. The next year there were 74,000. 87,000 the next.
In this quasi-open landscape images are a huge challenge to the Chinese authoritarian state. How do you prevent one courageous man’s example from multiplying? Present Beijing University students are totally unaware of the Tank Man incident. No one under 20 has even seen the picture. China’s one party regime is faced with the challenge of filtering out, (censoring), opposing views. And they are at present winning the fight… with the help of western technology. Even American.
China has over 11 million internet users. A U.S. Google search for ‘Tank Man’ will yield over 47 million hits. A Chinese Google search for ‘Tank Man’ will yield 0 hits.
Not only do western corporations and companies bow down to totalitarian demands overseas. Some, (such as Yahoo), have provided technology and/or information that allows the Chinese government to crack down on dissent. Western cooperation with Chinese police is of the utmost concern. Cisco Systems has signed a contract with provincial security department to provide E-match, fingerprint and voice print hardware and software although a 1989 U.S. law made it illegal to sell crime control or detection equipment to China.
Will this Chinese gamble of economic reform and political repression succeed? For the most part it has already succeeded. And lacking any viable opposition or reforms at home, the CCP will be able to maintain the status quo indefinitely, if not permanently.
In the final analysis it will largely be China that decides the final outcomes of the oil crisis, the environmental crisis, the world economy and perhaps even democracy itself.
The Frontline documentary can be ordered on the PBS.ORG. website.
