Tiananmen Square Anniversary: Beijing Cracks Down on Commemorations, Hong Kong Residents Remember

Beijing, Beijing Municipality China
35th anniversary of Tiananmen Square massacre on June 4, 1989
Four people arrested in Hong Kong for trying to protest or commemorate the anniversary
Heavy police presence in Beijing to prevent commemorations
Tiananmen Mothers group calls for Chinese government to publish names and numbers of those who died, grant compensation and pursue legal accountability
Tiananmen Square protests marked a turning point in China's history and US-China relations
US consulate in Hong Kong displays poster in solidarity with victims
Tiananmen Square Anniversary: Beijing Cracks Down on Commemorations, Hong Kong Residents Remember

The 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre on June 4, 1989, brought renewed scrutiny to China's treatment of dissent and the state of US-China relations. In Beijing, heavy police presence was reported as authorities sought to prevent any large-scale commemorations. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has long suppressed memories of the violent crackdown on pro-democracy protests that left hundreds or thousands dead.

In Taipei, more than 1000 people gathered to commemorate the victims and call for an end to human rights violations in China. The Tiananmen Mothers group, which includes families of those killed or injured during the crackdown, made an online appeal for the Chinese government to publish names and numbers of those who died, grant compensation to victims and their relatives, and pursue legal accountability.

In Hong Kong, commemorative events have been prevented for several years. Police arrested four people and swarmed a handful of others who tried to protest or commemorate. The US consulate in Hong Kong displayed a poster reading 'Remember 89! Mourn 64!' in solidarity with the victims.

The anniversary also highlighted policy failures by previous US administrations, including George H.W. Bush's attempt to reestablish contact and friendly relations with China after the massacre.

Despite increased security measures, some Hong Kong residents managed to commemorate the anniversary privately. Keith Law, a resident of Hong Kong, shared his memories of the events and their impact on his life.

The Tiananmen Square protests marked a turning point in China's history and US-China relations. The CCP's brutal response to peaceful protests underscored its authoritarian nature and lack of respect for human rights. The anniversary serves as a reminder of the importance of standing up for democracy, freedom, and human rights.


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Confidence

85%

Doubts
  • Compensation amounts to victims and their relatives are unknown
  • Exact number of deaths during the Tiananmen Square massacre is uncertain

Sources

84%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Silence and heavy security in China and Hong Kong mark 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown

The Associated Press News Tuesday, 04 June 2024 04:44
  • Unique Points
    • An estimated 180,000 troops and police were deployed in Beijing during the Tiananmen Square protests, firing into crowds to disperse them.
    • Hundreds or thousands of students and protestors are believed to have been killed during the overnight operation that ended on June 4, 1989.
    • The Tiananmen Mothers group called for the Chinese government to publish the names and total number of those who died, grant compensation to victims and their families, and pursue legal accountability for those responsible.
  • Accuracy
    • ][article.facts[3]] Hundreds or thousands of students and protestors are believed to have been killed during the overnight operation that ended on June 4, 1989.[/]
    • [][otherArticles[0].facts[4]] The death toll from the Tiananmen Square crackdown remains unknown to this day.[
    • [article.facts[5]] Hundreds or thousands of students and protestors are believed to have been killed during the overnight operation that ended on June 4, 1989.[
    • [otherArticles[0].facts[4]] The death toll from the Tiananmen Square crackdown remains unknown to this day.[
  • Deception (50%)
    The article contains selective reporting as it only reports details that support the author's position of China trying to silence the anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown. It also uses emotional manipulation by describing the events as 'bloody crackdown' and 'turning point in modern Chinese history.' The article does not disclose sources.
    • Among them was a 68-year-old woman detained on suspicion of sedition under the city’s new national security law. Police said she had chanted slogans in public.
    • Police officers were out in force.
    • Hundreds, if not thousands, are believed to have been killed in an overnight operation that ended on the morning of June 4, 1989.
    • Beijing’s Tiananmen Square had checkpoints and police vehicles on Tuesday as China tried to silence the 35th anniversary of a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests.
    • An elderly man was seen being taken away after holding up two handwritten posters. One read: ‘Remember 89! Mourn 64!’
  • Fallacies (85%)
    The article does not commit any formal fallacies nor inflammatory rhetoric. However, it does rely heavily on the reporting of quotes and events without providing explicit analysis or commentary from the author. This makes it difficult to determine the author's true stance on the issue.
    • China has long quashed any public memory of the military crackdown on months-long protests at the heart of its capital.
    • Across China, the anniversary remains a taboo subject that is heavily censored. Any mention on social media is quickly erased.
    • The economy boomed in the ensuing decades, turning a once impoverished country into the world’s second largest economy, but societal controls have been tightened since party leader Xi Jinping came to power in 2012.
  • Bias (95%)
    The article does not make any clear assertions or use language that depicts one side as extreme or unreasonable. However, it does describe the Chinese government's actions towards the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests as 'silencing' and 'heavily censored'. This could be seen as an implication of bias against China for suppressing free speech. Additionally, there are multiple instances where individuals attempting to commemorate or protest are arrested or taken away by police. These actions could also be seen as evidence of the Chinese government's efforts to control public discourse and suppress dissent.
    • Among them was a 68-year-old woman detained on suspicion of sedition under the city’s new national security law. Police said she had chanted slogans in public.
      • Any mention on social media is quickly erased.
        • China has long quashed any public memory of the military crackdown on months-long protests at the heart of its capital.
          • Commemorative events have grown overseas in response to the silencing of voices in Hong Kong.
            • Police officers were out in force. An elderly man was seen being taken away after holding up two handwritten posters. One read: ‘Remember 89! Mourn 64!’ Hong Kong media said that activist Alexandra Wong, popularly known as ‘Grandma Wong’, was also removed after she chanted slogans.
              • Tiananmen Mothers, a group formed by families of the victims, made an online appeal to the Chinese government to publish the names and total number of those who died, grant compensation to the victims and their relatives and pursue legal accountability for those responsible.
              • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Author Conflicts Of Interest (0%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication

              94%

              The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
              (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

              A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

              Heavy security in China and Hong Kong on 35th anniversary of Tiananmen crackdown

              National Public Radio (NPR) Associated Press Tuesday, 04 June 2024 00:00
              • Unique Points
                • Tiananmen Mothers made an online appeal for the Chinese government to publish names and numbers of those who died and grant compensation to victims and their relatives
                • Commemorative events have grown overseas in response to silencing of voices in Hong Kong
              • Accuracy
                • ]The death toll from the Tiananmen Square crackdown remains unknown to this day[
                • Hundreds or thousands of students and protestors are believed to have been killed during the overnight operation that ended on June 4, 1989
              • Deception (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Fallacies (75%)
                The article contains a few instances of inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority without directly attributing fallacies to the author. The author reports on the heavy security presence in China and Hong Kong on the anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown, as well as detailing how authorities have cracked down on commemorations and free speech surrounding this event. The article also includes information about overseas commemorative events, such as vigils planned in various cities. However, no fallacies are directly attributed to the author.
                • The event remains a sensitive and taboo subject that is heavily censored, and any mention or reference on social media is erased.
                • . . .societal controls have been tightened since party leader Xi Jinping came to power in 2012.
                • Asked by a foreign journalist for comment on the 35th anniversary during a daily foreign ministry briefing on Monday, spokesperson Mao Ning shrugged off the event.
                • Police used a new national security law to arrest eight people over the past week for social media posts commemorating the crackdown.
              • Bias (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication

              95%

              The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
              (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

              A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

              Heavy police presence in Beijing, Hong Kong on Tiananmen anniversary

              Entertainment Variety Tv Site: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tv-site/ Unknown DPA Tuesday, 04 June 2024 19:50
              • Unique Points
                • More than 1000 people gathered in Taipei to commemorate the victims of the Tiananmen Square protests and call on Beijing to stop trampling on human rights
              • Accuracy
                • The Chinese government came to a clear conclusion about the political unrest that occurred in the late 1980s without going into detail about the events of June 4, 1989
                • The Chinese government opposes any attempts to use the Tiananmen anniversary as a pretext to attack and smear China and interfere with its internal affairs
              • Deception (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Fallacies (95%)
                The article contains some inflammatory rhetoric and appeals to authority, but no formal or dichotomous fallacies are present. The author describes the increased police presence in Beijing and Hong Kong on the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests as a reaction. This is not an argument, but a statement of fact. The author also quotes statements from Chinese officials and mentions arrests made in connection with the anniversary, which are valid to report on. However, there is some inflammatory rhetoric used when describing outside interference being criticized by the Chinese Foreign Ministry as 'interference' and 'outside'. This is an appeal to emotion and can be considered a form of informal fallacy. The author also quotes statements from Taiwanese protesters urging the Beijing regime to stop trampling on human rights, which is a valid statement. However, there are no formal or dichotomous fallacies present in the article.
                • The Chinese government came to a clear conclusion early on about the political unrest that occurred in the late 1980s
                • More than 1000 people gather in Taiwan's capital Taipei to commemorate the victims of China's violent suppression of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protest in 1989, urging the Beijing regime to stop trampling on human rights
              • Bias (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication

              96%

              The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
              (Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

              A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

              US-China policy failures highlighted on Tiananmen Square massacre anniversary

              Fox News Media Peter Aitken Tuesday, 04 June 2024 19:51
              • Unique Points
                • George H.W. Bush’s administration tried to reestablish contact and friendly relations with China after the Tiananmen Square massacre.
              • Accuracy
                • Hundreds, possibly even thousands of students and protestors are believed to have been killed during the overnight operation that ended on June 4, 1989.
                • The death toll from the Tiananmen Square crackdown remains unknown to this day.
              • Deception (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Fallacies (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Bias (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication
              • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
                None Found At Time Of Publication