TianAnMen Square

(Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen)

Tiananmen square is a famous monument in Beijing, the capitol of China, widely used as a national symbol of the country. It is the site where many important events in Chinese History took place.

There is a known protest that happened at TianAnMen in 1989, commonly known as the 'June Fourth incident' or the " 89 Democracy Movement". The incident went on for approximately one and a half months, with the causes of conflict ranging from the death of Hu Yaobang, economic reforms and more. The two parties that caused the civil conflict were the Communist party of China, Government of the people's republic of China.

To me, this civil conflict reflects the people's difficulties as they struggle for equality, an anti corrupted government, freedom of press and speech.

To China, it shows that they've had problems and hardships as they country progresses. This must also have been a really hard time for the people as tens of thousands of people lost their lives in the protest.

The Communist Party of China forbids discussion of the Tiananmen Square protests, and has censor information related to it. Following the protests, officials banned all films and books that are controversial. Within a year, most media access to information related to the protests were blocked. 

The government's viewpoint towards the incident is that the use of force was necessary in order to control the people and ensure order in society. Chinese leaders often reiterate this line when questioned about the incident by foreign press.

The clearing of Tiananmen Square was criticized around the world. The US immediately put economic sanctions on China, and large-scale protests took place in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Chengdu, and other cities. Many of the people who had protested in Beijing left the country, and many countries around the world offered them visas and refugee status. The Tiananmen Square Massacre remains a banned topic in China as of 2012, and any mention of it in media, literature, or art is subject to censorship. 

From this incident, I believe we can learn the importance of social order. Riots and protests are a clear example of social disorder and will cause dire consequences.

Ling Han