ABSTRACT
The following was broadcast by China’s official Xinhua News Agency in Chinese on 9 June 1989, to provide the public with the ‘facts’ of the Tiananmen Square ‘rebellion’.
A shocking counter-revolutionary rebellion took place in the capital of Beijing on the 3rd and 4th of June following more than a month of turmoil. Owing to the heroic struggle put up by the martial law enforcement officers and men of the People’s Liberation Army [PLA], the Armed Police Force, and public security cadres and police, as well as the cooperation and support of large numbers of people, initial victory has been won in suppressing the rebellion. However, this counter-revolutionary rebellion has not yet been put down completely. A handful of rioters are still hatching plots, spreading rumors to confuse and poison people’s minds, and launching counterattacks. They are firing in the dark with firearms and ammunition they have seized; they are burning motor vehicles, smashing police boxes, and storming stores and public places in an attempt to put up a last-ditch struggle. Many rumors are now being spread in society, and many members of the masses have yet to understand the truth of the facts; they still have some problems to solve ideologically and emotionally. Therefore, it is necessary to clearly tell the masses about the truth of this counter-revolutionary rebellion to enable them to understand the causes and effects of the rebellion and the necessity and urgency of suppressing it. In this way, the masses will throw themselves into the struggle and contribute to stabilizing the situation in the capital . . .
