Tiananmen Massacre Memorial 2010-6-4

About 70 participated in the Memorial and Candlelight Vigil at Yenching Library on June 4, 2010. After an hour long video reviewing the events of, and since that trageic morning in 1989, the audience stood in silence for a moment of respect. The following statement was made by our organization at 8:30 p.m.:

「六四」二十一年悼文

每年的六月四日，我們為悼念一九八九年愛國民主運動的死難者而聚會。
今天晚上，我們又為這追求國人理想的歷史再做見證。
一九八九年六月四日的零晨，共產黨為鎮壓國民反貪污腐化的訴求，下令
人民解放軍以恐怖手段，暴力驅散在天安門廣場上和平示威的上萬學生，
並在通住廣場路上射殺碾斃嘗試阻攔的普通市民，導致上千人傷亡，能尋
確實名字的死者上百。

當年出世的人，今天也是二十一歲了。如果這些年青人能知當年事件，眼
看今天的中國，他門會有何感想？今天的中國和二十一年前的中國又有何
不同？當年國人追求的理想又是否已經達到？
今天中國是富裕了，有更多人可以安居足食；奧運世博，中國人在全世界
眼中是站起來了，那似乎比八九年的中國進步，但中國人「被」站起來很
多次了，那一次是真真正正的站起來？四九年後，假大空到三年饑荒，偶
像崇拜成十年破壞；今天統治者所吹捧，雄視亞洲的康乾「開明」盛世，
最終還被極權和貪污所腐蝕而為東亞病夫。到何時？中國人才懂得，為了
讓下一代能夠世世代代站起來，我們這一代就要想站起來就站起來，不要
再為跟隨忠字舞而起起落落！

從1989年的中國到2010的中國，從黑貓白貓到河蟹，腐蝕中國的封建勢力
從沒有改變過。為了斂財，豆腐渣可以是教育下一代的學校，化學毒物可
以是養育下一代的食品；為了私利，公權可以收買，私權可以踐踏；為了
統治者的權威，世博旅客所遇到的上訪申訴，和戈巴喬夫所見的和平示威
沒有两樣，都要「扣帽子」為動亂。從沒有改變過的，是中共以暴力背書
的極權恐怖統治；從沒有改變過的，是權力壟斷所滋生的貪污腐化！
中國人自宋以後就羞以「檜」為名，但今天那些仍以「中共」為姓的極權
幫兇，為了眼前私利，無視過去暴政打壓普通百姓追求理想的歷史，要人
忘掉天安門廣場、長安大道上的死難者。文革後中共仍能堅持浩劫有正面
效果，六四鎮壓後自可倡言屠殺有助經濟發展，他們不但要人忘記歷史，
更要人放棄理想。

但中國人民沒有忘記，中國人民不會放棄。天安門母親丁子霖，香港支聯
會司徒華，民主組黨王有才、徐文立、秦永敏、吳義龍，輿論監督天網李
新德、黃琦，要求釋放政治犯的林牧，講真話醫生蔣彦永、高耀潔，維權
律師鄭恩寵、高志晟，追查川震災難真相譚作仁、艾未未，零八憲章劉曉
波、張祖樺。

歷史不會忘記你們，理想也就沒有放棄中國。

為了下一代有一個美好中國，天安門廣場前群眾和黄花崗上義士的理想沒
有分別，他們的成敗，並不是這理想的得或失，他們的奮鬥，就是理想的
延續，當每一個中國人都能為這理想而前仆後繼時，中國人就能真真正正
永遠的站起來。

今夜在燭光中，我們為六四死難者的義舉在世人前再作見証，中國就再一
次變成一個二十一歲的青年人，再一次對貪污腐化的極權橫眉怒目，再一
次為理想而昂首邁步。

Every year on June 4th, we gather to remember the victims of the 1989 democracy movement.  Tonight, this memorial is once again a testimony to the Chinese people's continuous quest for democracy, and a remembrance of those who heroically sacrificed 21 years ago.

In the early morning of June 4th, 1989, the Chinese Community Party ordered the People’s Liberation Army to suppress a peaceful protest against corruption. Violent means were deployed to disperse the thousands of student protestors in Tiananmen Square.  Citizens blocking the roads to the square were shot down and run over.  Casualty amounted to thousands.  Confirmed fatalities were in the hundreds.

 Those born in that fateful year are 21 years old now!  Had they learned about the facts of what happened, what would they feel about China today?  How is China now different from China of 21 years ago?  Has China even come close to reaching the goals protesters longed for?

Today, China boasts a thriving economy.  A great number of people have enough food and proper shelter.  With the 2008 Olympics and the 2010 World Expo, China glimmers under the spotlight of the world's attention.  The Chinese people may be proud of being Chinese again, but will China repeat its long history of high hopes followed by desperate losses?  The once mighty Ch’ing Dynasty, dragged by the undertows of a totalitarian government and corruption, could only briefly prolong its existence by giving up territories and paying huge ransoms to foreign powers before its eventual demise.  The once uplifting establishment of the “New China” soon gave way to the lies and deceit of the Great Leap Forward that resulted in 36 million deaths, and to the idol worship of the Cultural Revolution that devastated a whole generation of Chinese.  Has China changed its course in history?

Within China today, we still see the same conditions that had destroyed dynasties and turned liberators into dictators in the past. How could sub-standard buildings be constructed for educating the next generation?  How could poisonous chemicals be mixed into children’s food?  Why is it a norm that government officials take bribes?  Why is it rare for ordinary people to have their rights protected?  Why do Chinese citizens need to bypass their local governments to petition in Beijing?  And why are they forbidden to expose local problems when their country is hosting the World Expo, an event that is meant to salute openness and innovations for all humanity?  Why?  Corruption will be rampant as long as it sustains a totolitarian government.  And a totalitarian Chinese Communist Party is still endorsing violence and terrorism by terrorizing dissidents with government-sponsored violence.

We believe in the traditional Chinese virtue that people know what is right and are ashamed of being wrong.  We understand that some dare not condemn the corruption they witness because of a fear of retribution.  Clearly, however, others have either condoned or collaborated to perpetuate the government’s lies simply due to human greed. They conveniently ignore track records of brutal crimes committed by the Chinese Communist government, and try to alter the historical facts of the Tiananmen Square massacre.  To cover up their crimes, the regime has gone so far as to insist that the Cultural Revolution produced good results; to wash the blood off their hands, many in power have also bragged about the economic benefits of the killings in 1989.  When a government wants its people to forget history and give up on ideals, something is terribly wrong with that government.

However, the Chinese people have not forgotten, and the Chinese people will not give up:  “Tiananmen Mothers” organizer Ding Zilin.  “Hong Kong Alliance” leader Szeto Wah.  “Chinese Democratic Party” Wang Youcai, Xu Wenli, Qin Yongmin and Wu Yilong.  "Human Rights in China" director Lin Mu.  “Chinese Public Opinion Net” founder Li Xinde.  “June4 Sky Net” founder Huang Qi and Zeng Li.  Whistle blower of SARS epidemic Dr. Jiang Yanyong.  Crusader of AIDS epidemic prevention Dr. Gao Yaojie.  The lawyer who defended the property rights of ordinary citizens and denounced the corruption of high officials in Shanghai, Zheng Enchong.  The lawyer who fights in the world's largest Communist state, Gao Zhisheng.  Human rights activists who exposed facts about flimsy school buildings in Sichuan, Tan Zuoren and Ai Weiwei.  Signers of the human rights manifesto “Charter 08”, Liu Xiaobo and Zhang Zuhua.

You will never be forgotten, and your ideals will forever live on.

A better China for the next generation -  that was the ideal that the forefathers of this great nation had fought for.  That was the reason why the protesters stayed in Tiananmen Square in the early morning of June 4th, 1989.  That is the inspiration for which you and I came here today.  Tonight, as we mourn those who sacrificed their lives 21 years ago, we are also confident that we will see the day when China will be reborn, where all Chinese will stand behind the same ideals, with the courage and stamina of a 21 year old.