Beijing harasses or detains those who try to commemorate pro-democracy student protests in 1989
XAVIER FONTDEGLÓRIA
Beijing 5 JUN 2016
They have passed 27 years, but China still does not want to open one of the darkest chapters in its recent history. The thousands of students who demonstrated peacefully for months in Beijing's Tiananmen Square 1989 to ask for democratic reforms and the regime's decision to forcibly evict them are prohibited topics. Anyone who dares to publicly remember this episode, whose peak occurred on 4 June with violent repression by the Army, may be subject to surveillance, harassment, threats and even being arrested and tried on criminal charges.
A Chinese soldier in Tiananmen Square, under the iconic portrait of Mao Zedong, on the eve of the 27thº anniversary of the repression of pro-democracy protests in 1989. FRED DUFOUR AFp
"Junto a varios amigos planeamos una pequeña reunión en un parque cercano a casa. We wanted to talk about the event, put up a banner and take some photographs. But the police had tapped our phones and knew our plans, so when we arrived we found the armored park of agents. We decided to go to a restaurant, but they followed us there and we couldn't do it either. In the end we managed to hold a small commemoration at my house in which we remembered what happened, homenajeamos a los fallecidos y hablamos de la democracia y la libertad que tanto anhelamos", explains Sun Wenguang over the phone, of 82 years and former professor of Shandong University.
Similar cases are repeated throughout the country, according to several human rights organizations. Fu Hailu, a worker from Sichuan province, was arrested for having printed labels for liquor bottles that showed the iconic image of the man in front of a column of tanks, symbol of protests 1989. Ahora es sospechoso de "incitar a la subversión del poder del Estado", a charge that can carry up to 15 years of prison. Three prominent Beijing activists were arrested for having participated in a private meeting in which Tiananmen was discussed and after publishing several photographs online..
Sun's email account has been closed, controlled calls and placed under house arrest. "Creo que el Gobierno se está volviendo más agresivo. Before, I only had surveillance during the most sensitive dates like this anniversary or when important political meetings are held.. This time, however, There has been a car parked for more than a year 24 hours of the day in front of the house without explanation. Los agentes de paisano me siguen incluso cuando voy al supermercado o a nadar", reports.
Sun Wenguang, sitting in the center, with his friends in the tribute he held at his home. On the banner you can read: "27º anniversary of 4 de junio".
"Las autoridades chinas se niegan a permitir espacio alguno para que los ciudadanos conmemoren de forma pacífica los sucesos de 1989. Censorship intensifies and, although most detainees are released after the anniversary has passed, There are some who have remained behind bars for more than a year for this reason alone.. El Gobierno debería permitir una discusión abierta de estos acontecimientos y respetar los derechos de sus ciudadanos", says Frances Eve, researcher at the NGO Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CAD), based in Hong Kong.
Sun was a university professor when the student protests began and openly supported them. This anniversary began to be commemorated in mainland China last year. 2008 —previously participated in the events taking place in Hong Kong, where freedom of expression is guaranteed— and since then it has been in the spotlight. He has been arrested on several occasions and 2009 He was brutally beaten by a group of strangers on his way to the cemetery to honor Zhao Ziyang., the former Chinese prime minister who was purged because he opposed ending student protests with the use of force. It took Sun three months to recover from his injuries..
"Se trata de un movimiento que busca justicia, not a counterrevolutionary revolt. The Communist Party should admit its guilt and compensate the families of the victims. If the situation continues like this, this will be a country without hope. Hay que luchar por los derechos civiles y en especial por la libertad de expresión", the activist repeats. On whether despite the difficulties he will continue with his fight, respond: "cada vez somos menos y soy viejo y débil, pero mientras esté vivo la conmemoración anual seguirá celebrándose".
