this post was submitted on 04 Jun 2025
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Date of 4 June remains one of China’s strictest taboos, with government using increasingly sophisticated tools to censor its discussion

There is no official death toll but activists believe hundreds, possibly thousands, were killed by China’s People’s Liberation Army in the streets around Tiananmen Square, Beijing’s central plaza, on 4 June 1989.

The date of 4 June remains one of China’s strictest taboos, and the Chinese government employs extensive and increasingly sophisticated resources to censor any discussion or acknowledgment of it inside China. Internet censors scrub even the most obscure references to the date from online spaces, and activists in China are often put under increased surveillance or sent on enforced “holidays” away from Beijing.

New research from human rights workers has found that the sensitive date also sees heightened transnational repression of Chinese government critics overseas by the government and its proxies.

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[–] Krono@lemmy.today 124 points 1 week ago (53 children)

As an American I think it's helpful to put this into some sort of perspective.

Things the US won't forget:

  • Tiananmen Square (thousands dead)

Things the US will forget:

  • Korean War (3mil civilian dead)

  • Vietnam War (2mil civilian dead)

  • Iraqi War (1mil civilian dead)

  • Violent overthrow of East Timor (widely considered a genocide)

  • Violent overthrow of Afghanistan (twice, over 1 mil dead)

  • Violent overthrow of Nicaragua

  • Violent overthrow of Grenada

  • Violent overthrow of Panama

  • Violent overthrow of Libya

  • Coup d'etat of Guatemala

  • Coup d'etat of Iran

  • Failed Coup d'etat of Syria

  • Failed Coup d'etat of Indonesia

  • Many failed Coup d'etat attempts on Cuba

  • Coup d'etat of Congo

  • Coup d'etat of Laos

  • Coup d'etat of the Dominican Republic

  • Coup d'etat of Iraq

  • Coup d'etat of Brazil

  • Successful Coup d'etat of Indonesia (1 mil dead)

  • Coup d'etat of Chile

  • Multiple Coup d'etat of Bolivia

  • Coup d'etat of Haiti

  • Multiple Coup d'etat attempts on Venezuela

  • Coup d'etat of Palestine

  • Mass civilian casualties, destabilization of many governments, people subject to a lifetime of torture without a trial, all under the War on Terror

This list could be so much longer, but I gotta get to work.

[–] PugJesus@lemmy.world 33 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (7 children)

Things the US will forget:

Korean War (3mil civilian dead)

Vietnam War (2mil civilian dead)

Iraqi War (1mil civilian dead)

Imagine thinking that the US has forgotten any of these when they're a constantly pressure on the cultural zeitgeist even literal decades later. Or, for that matter, that the Korean War is in any way comparable.

Violent overthrow of Afghanistan (twice, over 1 mil dead)

Twice? Christ, tell me you aren't talking about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Not to mention that the 'overthrow' of 'Afghanistan' the second time would rely on recognizing the Taliban, and not the democratically-oriented Northern Alliance which was fighting them at the time, as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.

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[–] Gsus4@mander.xyz 19 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

Most of that looks right, but

Violent overthrow of East Timor (widely considered a genocide)

Ok, this was Indonesia, with murican quiet assent, but still, don't give other countries a pass on these things to make them look clean.

Many of these also involved the local elites going to the US for help. e.g. The draft UN resolution for the no-fly zone in Lybia was produced by the Arab League and backed by the African Union, which pressured russia and China not to veto it.

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[–] taladar@sh.itjust.works 106 points 1 week ago (2 children)

"Never forget" is great and all but from a German perspective it seems to not be enough. It is much more important to make sure the same or very similar things do not happen again, not by China and not by any other nation. Otherwise you end up like we did here in Germany where decades of "never forget" lead to very similar sentiments being expressed by a new major party but since things are slightly different (e.g. the "never forget" was always phrased to be about Jews, this is more about foreigners in general) people seem to allow themselves to ignore them.

[–] wewbull@feddit.uk 80 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

"Never again":

  • ❌ "We must never do what we did to the Jews in WW2 again".
  • ✅ "We can never allow what we did to the Jews in WW2 to happen again to anyone".
[–] Wanderer@lemm.ee 25 points 1 week ago (5 children)

Germans should be critical of Israel then.

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[–] NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone 78 points 1 week ago (1 children)

US currently working on ways to top it.

[–] BmeBenji@lemm.ee 23 points 1 week ago (5 children)

That’s exactly what I was thinking. I feel like we’re months away at most

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[–] Timoruz@lemm.ee 42 points 1 week ago

Was genuinely thinking of walking in front of Trump’s military parade.

[–] timewarp@lemmy.world 41 points 1 week ago (2 children)

Never forget says country engaged in rewriting its own history.

[–] ayyy@sh.itjust.works 18 points 1 week ago (5 children)

Which country do you think The Guardian is from?

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[–] unphazed@lemmy.world 33 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Meanwhile Oklahoma telling kids the 2020 election was rigged under state law.

[–] Gorilladrums@lemmy.world 16 points 1 week ago (17 children)

Tankies and whataboutism, name a more iconic duo (pro tip: you can't)

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[–] CatDogL0ver@lemmy.world 33 points 1 week ago (1 children)

This is just my personal experience:

~I was talking to a few young Chinese. They were after born after the massacre happened.~

"Why are Hong Kong people are so full of themselves and rebellious? They think they are better? (Derogatory comments....", cheating among themselves, happily.

I couldn't help and interrupted, "Some young promising Hong Kong students were murdered, beaten and kidnapped under the mainland China. You can't blame them for not being defensive."

Immediately they resorted to their memorised response, "Do you have any resources to back up what you said? The official death count was zero."

Of course there was no "official" news resources. China suppresses the news media.

"It is the same as Tiananmen massacre. You won't find any "official resources " but everyone knows people were killed."

Another one retorted, "The official number is zero. What official resources you have to backup your claim?"

It was useless to talk anymore at that moment. I left. My encounter probably would be on their "report."

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