( Summary )

By Jiang Peikun and Ding Zilin

The three popular political movements namely the ‘Airing of Views’ and ‘Anti-rightist’ movements in 1957, the Cultural Revolution from 1960’s to 1970’s, and the 5th April Tiananmen Movement in 1976, all undermined the prestige of the Chinese Communist Party. However most of the people, with the exception of a few advanced elements, attributed the consequence of the movements to the leadership’s blunder in their policy. After the movements, the people never lost their trust towards the Party, albeit with some grumbles. Based on such a trust, the Chinese Communist Party had the confidence and courage to make a limited review of the blunders and damages of the movements afterwards.

However, the ruling Chinese Communist have started a turning point in history on the June 4th incident. Ten years have passed, and the ruling Chinese Communist not only did not make any review of the incident, but instead have repeatedly proclaimed that the decision made cannot be changed, which is contrary to the usual practice of the Chinese Communist. The only explanation is that Deng Xiaoping’s crackdown on the 1989 Pro-democracy Movement was indeedtoo wrong in that he did not leave room for himself and for his successor ( for such a review).　

The 1989 massacre was the result of the totalitarian system. The Chinese totalitarianism, aside from the leaders’ arbitrariness, attached importance to achieving the aim through popular movement. The 1979 Democracy Wall Movement was the pioneer civic movement in modern China, and the 1989 Tiananmen Movement was an unprecedented exercise of such a movement. The 1989 Pro-democracy Movement raised the demand for democracy and the demand for upholding the citizens’ freedom and rights from without the institution. It was because of this very point that Deng Xiaoping, of the second generation leadership, cracked down the movement at all costs.

The Chinese Communists today no longer enjoy ‘absolute authority’ as before, and no long have the appeal. They become more and more caught in a dilemma which is difficult for them either to advance or to draw back. Will the ruling Chinese Communists be willing to give up their monopoly on power and to give up their own party’s selfish interests for the dignity of China in the coming century?

The Chinese people today are likewise caught in a delemma: they either gain a certain ‘substantial benefit’ from the so-call glasnost by the Chinese Communist while sacrificing their own liberty and dignity, or shoulder up civic responsibilities for themselves and for their posterity to become freemen. As a person, one has the basic inherent rights such as the right to life, the right of liberty and the right to own property. In order that these rights will not be unreasonably deprived, it is imperative to established an appropriate system to safeguard them and to enable citizens to exercise their rights. For the past half century, especially for the past decade, people have made a great effort for this cause