The ghosts of a modern day legacy

Twelve years ago the Chinese Government lost patience with a student movement calling for democracy in Tiananmen square. They ordered the peoples army to turn their weapons on the people.

The bloody suppression of the students effectively smashed the pro- democracy movement and drove dissent underground.

The recent publishing of the Tiananmen Papers has reminded the world of the tragic events of June 1989, when students challenged the legitimacy of the Chinese Government.

The issues which fueled the protest are still present in China today; lack of political freedom, corruption and unemployment. But public displays of dissent are rare and Tiananmen square remains under constant surveillance.
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