Summary of links from June 4th

Today's Chinese students do not know much about their recent history. They have never seen the famous image of the brave Tank Man of Tiananmen (mostly text -- for video clips see the next link below), and I am not surprised that they haven't seen the image.

This situation is similar to that of many Taiwanese students who had never heard of the 228 Massacre until they went abroad in the 70's and 80's.

I have summarized a few informative links with posts related to the events June 4^th, 1989, but written 20 years later.

* Here are six educational video clips about Tiananmen.

* Read about Beijing blocking the media to this very day.

* Take a look at irresponsible business engagement with China and forced labor camps (Insist on buying things produced in your own country whenever you can, and support both the domestic economy and articles 23(3) and 24 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights at the same time.)

*See how the richest party in Taiwan blocked an important and symbolic resolution, because obviously both that party and the CCP are anti-democratic kleptocrats.

* Read a scholar's view of another anniversary, and some words from the Australian who also condemned (or praised?) the blue-dominated media for doing a really good job on this issue as he commented:

It is clear the KMT and its cohorts in the media have succeeded in convincing a significant percentage of people in Taiwan that A-bian is an evil monster who doesn't even deserve basic human rights. As a result it is difficult to have a calm and rational conversation about the topic.

Thanks to him, I will not need to write a separate post since I also signed the petition based on the same principles as him. Many Taiwanese are quick to blame the former president for the DPP's poor performance in the last election, and these same people tend to overlook Chen's basic human rights.

* Observe how the government that no one recognizes as having the sovereignty of the land it occupies has no plans on how to carry on with the process of transitional justice, but has every interest in reviving a dead dictator's legacy. It continues to introduce new laws that will be instrumental in abusing the rights of some selected citizens while failing to prosecute others like this one.

(With some editing by Tim Maddog)