I always dreamed about that one day I can lay a white or red flower on Tiananmen Square for those young students who died there on June 4th, 1989. The reasons being: the first I think that I owe my life here in U.S. to them; the second: they are heros to me; the third: I will be able to see China becomes a democratic country after such a long journey.
Many Chinese who are now living abroad in some degree benefited from the June 4th event. They are directly or indirectly, partially or fully owe their lives here to those who died, injured and suffered in that event. I, being one of them, feel strongly that not that we should thank them for what we got, but we debited to what they wish to do to China. At least we should not be the ones who have forgotten about them and the cause of their actions.
People may have different opinions regarding that event but we have to agree those who died there are for their believes, their dreams and their love of China. It is not easy to sacrifice ones life for something you believe and they are heros in that scene.
Twenty-one years have passed since that night, those who died there for their patriotism are still not able to be recognized, remembered and honored openly in China. Their families still can not heal their wounds, get over their hurts and get the closures for their losses. China has changed but the causes for the June 4th event are still there. China is not getting closer to what those who died for and dreamed about, instead, there are stronger causes for their action and what they dreamed for. Since Xinhai revolution hundred years ago, China is still under a dictatorship, still no freedom of speech, political dissents are still being jailed. And the worse, there are severe corruptions in government and among officials. China is still a country lack of democracy, freedom, fairness and civilization.
The real sad thing is that there are still many Chinese who still against China becoming a democratic and modernized country. They are always suspicious about westernization of China and at same time try to defend all the actions China has taken since Xinhai revolution including those obvious ones that held China’s progress and those even brought China backward, not mentioning those that caused China great disasters. People do not realize that China is still not a democratic and modern country and many Chinese are still not living a decent life even we are already a decade into the 21st century. We should ask ourselves how long we should wait for China to become a modern, democratic and civilized society and how long we should wait for Sun Yat-sen’s Three Principles of the People to be realized in China while we are tirelessly defending the issues in China and viciously criticizing the societies where people are enjoying a democratic, civilized, happy and decent life?
excellent article, totally agree with you, thanks!