ABSTRACT
Student movements have a long and celebrated tradition in Chinese history, and the student movement of 1989 was a part of this tradition. But it was also significant as a step toward establishing a democratic government in China. This chapter will offer some observations from a historical perspective on the future of democracy in China and the role that the students and intellectuals can play in its establishment,
The first student movement in the world occurred in China. During the reign of Emperor Ai (6-2 B.C.), a student movement broke out in the city of Changan (present day Xian), which was then the capítol of the Han dynasty. An upright official by the name of Bao Xuan was arrested for offending the prime minister. The students of the Imperial Academy (Taixuc), more than one thousand in number, gathered in front of the institution and demanded Bao's immediate release. Bao Xuan already had been given the death sentence, but the. students were determined to intervene. They called another mass demonstration and prevented the prime minister's carriage from passing through the main street of Changan.1 As a result, Bao Xuan received a partial pardon. He was not executed but instead given a lighter sentence. This happened simply because of the students at the Imperial Academy,
which was founded in 124 B.C. and was one of the earliest universities in the world.
