Taiwan President William Lai Ching-te promises Beijing’s brutal 1989 crackdown on protesters in Tiananmen Square will not be forgotten.
Taiwan President William Lai Ching-te has promised Beijing’s brutal 1989 crackdown on protesters in Tiananmen Square will not be forgotten, as Hong Kong deployed hundreds of police to keep an eye out for potential commemorative activities.
Tuesday marks 35 years since Chinese soldiers stormed the square where students and workers had set up camp for weeks, opening fire and killing hundreds of people. An official death toll has never been released.
The Tiananmen Square protesters wanted political reform and were frustrated at the then-government’s handling of the economy and the growth of corruption. Party leaders dismissed them as counter-revolutionaries and after the crackdown, many of the protesters fled overseas.
In the years since, discussion of Tiananmen has become taboo on the mainland.
