ABSTRACT
With the intellectuals joining forces with the students, the movement became more complex but at the same time gained greater articulateness and. sophistication. The statement attempts to frame the debate in terms of adherence to the Constitution rather than to the party line. It also identifies corruption as the cause of the student protests and voices a strong demand for democracy as a means of ending corruption. It begins by referring to the 16 May Notice, which announced the beginning of the Cultural Revolution in 1966, thus adding a historical dimension to the occasion. The intellectuals were also aware that they were at a turning point in history,]
The 16 May Notice of 1966 undoubtedly symbolizes dictatorship and darkness to the heart of the Chinese people, Now, twenty-three years later, we have strongly felt the yearning for democracy and the hope for a bright future. History has finally reached a turning point. At present, a patriotic democracy movement, with the students in the vanguard, has spread throughout the country. Within less than a month, in Beijing and all over China, demonstrations have erupted, surging forward like a great tidal wave. Hundreds of thousands of students have taken to the streets to denounce corruption, calling for democracy and the rule of law. Their call expresses the will of the workers, peasants, soldiers, cadres, intellectuals, and working' people of every field. This is a national, awakening that has carried forward to new heights the spirit of the May Fourth Movement. This is a great historical moment thai will determine the fate of China,
Since the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Congress of the Chinese Communist Party, China, has embarked on a path of national renaissance and modernization. It is to be regretted, however, that the ineffectual efforts at refomi of the political structure have brought severe setbacks to the initial successes of the economic reforms.
