Tiananmen Square was a massacre by the Chinese military of mainly student demonstrators. Millions of protesters called for democracy, but the government warned that they would act against the protesters. The Chinese government ferociously attacked its citizens with deadly force. This attack surprised protesters.Tanks and soldiers came in to control and disperse the crowd. Hundreds of these demonstrators were shot. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stori es/june/4/newsid_2496000/2496277.stm)
Chinese Suppressing Free Speech
The Chinese government blocks some information from the public in China. Google is limited and have different search results than in America. Also, freedom of speech is limited in China. People who make anti-Communist remarks are punished and if published online or in writing, the remarks are sometimes deleted or destroyed. Websites that report news that the government does not want getting out are sometimes hacked to stop the reporting of the news. There have been several incidents that show the government is controlling what the people can read and learn about. The Chinese people do not want to be left in the dark and they have a right to know what is going on.
Recent Protests
There are protests all around China everyday. Many of these protests are against the Chinese government and about the factories and plants the government is building. Many of these buildings are hurting the environment. The government is building a factory that produces copper alloy in Shifang City. The plant will harm the environment and people around the factory. Violent protests have occurred outside of this plant. In Dalian, a toxic chemical plant was not up to safety standards. People protested for the plant to shut down due to it likely leaking toxic waste. The plant was closed, but rumors are that the plant has been reopened. In Haining, there was a solar panel factory that was leaking toxic waste into the river. Fish were dying in the river where people fished. The factory was shut down. In the village of Wukan, people protested the taking of their land by a corrupt government official. During negotiations, a village negotiator, in custody, was beaten to death. Sometimes protests in China are successful, but other times, they do not work. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-18684903)
Tibet Wants Freedom
Tibet wants to be a free nation, separate from China. The Chinese suppress Tibetan culture and stop their freedom to worship. China is trying to force Tibetans to choose a new leader who is approved by the government since the last Dalai Lama was not. Tibet and China have disputed since the 13 century. In the early 1900's there was a war in which Tibet declared themselves an independent nation. In 1950 Chinese troops marched into Tibet and forced the Tibetans to sign a treaty giving the Chinese government authority. There have been many uprisings over the years. Taiwan is an island off the coast of China. This island has been governing itself for years, but the Chinese consider it in their control. The Chinese said that they will use force if necessary, just like they used force in Tibet in 1950. (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-14533879)
Pictures of Protests in Tibet
These are pictures of some protests in China over Tibet. Monks and Tibetans are being arrested every day. Protests are sometimes violent, but there are also peaceful protests. The Chinese police and military have used force to disperse the protests and riots. The most extreme forms of protests are monks lighting themselves on fire and running through the streets in protest.