Here is a place to post about themes we'll discuss this week.
First item: Look at the new photo. This iconic photo became a symbol for the uprising against tyrannical Communism in China. That one man could stand up alone against an entire army inspired people worldwide to believe in their own struggle. What events surrounded this event in Tiananmen Square in 1989? What events have transpired since then? Find your photo that represents active citizenship and post the url - give a brief description of how it demonstrates democratic rights being exercised.
One topic this week will be freedom of the press. To what extent does freedom of the press help its citizens? To what extent can it harm its citizens?
Does Canada have freedom of the press/media? What limitations (if any) are there?
Tiananmen Square, 1989
ReplyDeleteIn 1989, the chinese government expirienced great economic growth and thought it was about time to reformn its economy and politics. Many chinese students gathered in Tiananmen Square and demanded Democratic reforms.
https://www.britannica.com/event/Tiananmen-Square-incident
(NOT DONE)
Tiananmen Square, 1989
ReplyDeleteIn 1989, the chinese government expirienced great economic inflation and the Chinese citizens thought it was about time to reform its economy and politics and to turn away from Communism. Many Chinese students gathered in Tiananmen Square and demanded Democratic reforms. Protesting students and Chinese citizens gathered in many different cities to express their political opinion about China. However, most people gathered in Tiananmen square in Bejing where the government issued warnings against citizens creating large crowds. On June 4,1989, Martial Law was declared in Bejing and China's military stationed its positions in Tiananmen square, taking out any citizen that got in their way. By the following day, all protesters had been cleared out of the area.
The photo linked above is a picture of a Chinese man standing up against four large tanks. This picture went viral and inspired people all around the world to take a stand for what they believe in.
After the events in Tiananmen Square, 1989, lots of controversy surrounded the way that the Chinese government chose to agressively deal with the protesters. Now, in 2017, The communist government of china has yet to collapse. The Tiananmen Massacre has effected China despite its terrible occurances. During that time period it pushed China toward a positive economic path, and got its citizens involved and to speak up for what they believed in.
Overall, the Chinese communist government did face some conflict with Chinese citizens in 1989, but this in conlusion led to further economic growth and more involvment between citizens vs. government.
https://chinachange.org/2015/06/02/how-the-tiananmen-massacre-changed-china-and-the-world/
https://www.britannica.com/event/Tiananmen-Square-incident
Hey Emma. I just want to quickly point out that after the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, the chinese citizens were actually even more restricted than before about speaking up what they believe in. The site that is cited in your comment says that “China further away from democracy” and that it is evident “over the last couple of years since Xi Jinping took power.” The reason of this being is because CCP became aware of the democratic movement and they have seen them as threats. CCP has been trying to stabilize the social order. After the movement, China has been applying even more tight controls and suppress opponents. China has increased its budget for maintaining society and it is higher than its military spending. China’s control on media is stricter than 1980s. We can conclude from these indicators that China is going against the movement towards democracy.
DeleteCitation:
http://time.com/73594/china-tiananmen-square-25-years-later/
https://chinachange.org/2015/06/02/how-the-tiananmen-massacre-changed-china-and-the-world/
Emma - excellent summary of events. China has definitely seen huge economic growth since they realized that appearing democratic is good for business.
DeleteSun - Thanks for the follow up after this significant event.
You did a very good job in summarizing this event and stating the significance of the man standing in front of the tanks. Thank you for sharing what you learned.
DeleteThe man who stood against the whole communist army, also known as the “Tank Man”, represents active citizenship. Before explaining about the person, we should understand about the 1989 incident in Tiananmen Square. The incident is also known as the June Fourth Accident. It was a democracy movement demonstration in Beijing lead by students who asked for democracy, freedom of the press, and freedom of speech. The protest represented public's worries about economic reform, inflation, and political corruptness. The protest spread nation wide in 400 different cities. The government then declared a martial law and killed several hundred demonstrators. The Chinese communist government saw the nation-wide protest as a threat and called it as a “counter-revolutionary riot”. The government responded with force. The government conducted mass arrest and massacred the demonstrators. During the night of June 3-4, civilians who tried to stop the military’s advance to Tiananmen square, a city square in Beijing, were killed.
ReplyDeleteThe tank man was a person who acted against the Chinese communist government’s brutal massacre. After thousands of demonstrators were killed, a man stepped in front of a line of advancing tank crew. His identity is still unknown but he is called a tank man. He stood still while the line of tanks armed with machine gun kept trying to move. He climbed on the tank and tried to talk with the driver. After he gets off, he was dragged away by two men. Even though he was a regular citizen, he was aware of the event and actively acted out against them. He is now recognized as the symbol of an active civil act. With his effort, which clearly embedded the even in our mind, the attempt of the Chinese government to conceal what happened that day utterly failed.
After the crackdown, with efforts of the protesters, the U.S. issued economic and diplomatic sanctions for China’s unhumanitarian way of handling the protest. Many of the activists were imprisoned for a long time and some were executed. The event changed China two major ways; political and economic. The Chinese Communist Party gave up on their previous reforms. They shifted to extreme conservative in politics and extreme liberal for their economy. Politically, they highly focused on stabilizing the society. They would control the press and suppress opponents. Chinese now have less freedom of speech than before the democracy movement. Economically, China adapted market economy and encouraged globalization. With this, China made a significant economic development. The largest housing bubble was formed after this. The demands were not accomplished but it was an event that decided a major path for CCP.
Citation:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square_protests_of_1989
https://www.britannica.com/event/Tiananmen-Square-incident
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square
http://time.com/2822290/tiananmen-square-massacre-facts-time/
https://qz.com/90764/what-happened-to-tank-man-chinas-most-famous-tiananmen-square-protester/
http://time.com/73594/china-tiananmen-square-25-years-later/
Excellent Sun - yes freedom of the press was a big demand of this event. No one was allowed to document this event, so the fact that this photo was taken and circulated throughout the global media is an act of civil disobedience and punishable with jail time.
DeleteYour description of the tank man was very informational and eye opening. It is very interesting how his actions are so iconic.
DeleteTiananmen Square, 1989
ReplyDeleteThe protests of Tiananmen Square in 1989 were a series of student-driven demonstrations in Beijing, China. The protests were forcibly shut down after the Chinese government declared martial law and mobilised the army and armed police. The situation deteriorated, and the Chinese government carried out a massacre at Tiananmen Square, killing anywhere between one hundred to two thousand civilians. The result of this massacre, and the suppression of certain freedoms, was Western sanctions against the Chinese government and an arms embargo.
Throughout the demonstrations, there were acts of courageous rebellion, especially after the government imposed martial law. One notable incident, latter dubbed the “Unknown Protester”, was captured by Jeff Widener of the Associated Press. The pictures he took showed a lone man standing in front of Chinese Type 59 tanks. He halted the entire column, and when the tanks tried to bypass him, blocked them again. It was only until he was dragged off by two unknown men (either secret police or concerned bystanders) that the tanks were able to get through.
After the protests, the Chinese government made sweeping arrests and purged some of their own officials. They also expelled certain foreign reporters, and cut off satellite connects to networks such as CNN and CBS. The World Bank, Asian Development Bank, and foreign governments also suspended loans from China.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square_protests_of_1989
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tank_Man
http://time.com/2822290/tiananmen-square-massacre-facts-time/
Good account of events with inclusion of details (names, press details, etc.) I think you could expand on the issues this event posed for the press and freedoms for publishers. One of the challenges being the 3rd of 4th blogger in a thread on the same topic is that you will be forced to take different (and difficult) angles and approaches to the same subject.
DeleteExpanding from what I said, experts have stated that the events of Tiananmen Square in 1989 were a turning point in Chinese history. Many reforms and transformations have been made since the events of these student-led protests, both economically and socially. After the student movement, the legitimacy-challenged Chinese Communist Party (CCP) made an unusual decision. They abandoned their approach of balancing economic reform and political reform. For economic reform, they went to the extreme “liberal” and radical; for political reform, they went to the extreme “conservative” and rigid. This is what's called the “1989 choice.” Basically, the government separated important issues so it could focus on priorities without trying to keep a balance.
DeleteAdditionally, the CCP had civil order as it's top priority. Compared to 1989, China now has less freedom of speech due to limits on Chinese society. The state government has been authorized to suppress any demonstrations. In recent years, the Chinese government has become increasingly more scandalous, with government officials less focused on ideology and morals than on money and greed.
All of this results in an interesting paradox - a protest about civil liberties and corruption led to decreased civil liberties and increased corruption. Overall, the protests did more harm than good.
SOURCES:
http://time.com/73594/china-tiananmen-square-25-years-later/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square_protests_of_1989
It is very interesting to see how big of an impact the events at Tiananmen square have made on China's history. It shows how their type of government provides very different freedoms than Canada provides for its citizens. Considering that these protests only made China's citizens' freedom of speech decrease, and not improve.
DeleteTiananmen Square
ReplyDeleteTiananmen Square is located in China’s capital, Beijing. The Tiananmen Square Incident occurred when thousands of students decided to protest for a democratic government style in their country. Hundreds of more students joined in, even participating in hunger strikes. The number of protesters continued to increase after a couple of days of protesting. A rally begins after a few days and 1.2 million people gathered in Tiananmen Square. After they refuse to leave, Chinese troops open fire on the students and citizens. Through all of this chaos, a man stands in front of a line of tanks, blocking their path. He has since then become an important symbol for human rights and protesting.
China was criticized by western countries like the United States for the way that they handled the protesters. Not only did the Chinese troops kill several protesters, but they also arrested thousands of people that were involved. Many people were put in jail for their participation in this protest. China realized that their government needed improvement, to prevent such events so new and more strict changes were made to the government.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/15/world/asia/tiananmen-square-fast-facts/
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/tiananmen-square-what-happened-to-tank-man-9483398.html
https://www.britannica.com/event/Tiananmen-Square-incident
Good account of events with solid reference sources. What were some of the changes made by the government after this event? As mentioned above, when you continue to discuss the same event you will need to take different angles and approaches then the first people to post on a topic. What were the specific demands of these protestors? Have any similar protests happened before or after this event? How did the government justify their actions?
DeleteAnyone else with another photo or event to share?
ReplyDeleteActive Citizenship
ReplyDeletehttps://www.google.ca/search?q=active+citizenship&rlz=1C1AVNG_enCA616CA616&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwirzLijmYHUAhXjy4MKHVjEDtUQ_AUICigB&biw=1344&bih=712&dpr=1.25#imgrc=k2OJ32s067CbOM:
Active Citizen: A person who actively takes responsibility and initiative in areas of public concern such as crime prevention and the local community.
This picture represents that out of a huge group of people, many may be scared to stand up against a greater authority, but there will always be one person who takes initiative and responsibility of making their word heard.
https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/active_citizen
Very good example of an active citizen. Sometimes, all it takes is one person to initiate change by voicing their opinion.
DeleteVery good examples. I agree, freedom of the press can be useful but also harmful. While it may empower some people, it can be damaging to others if incorrect news is published.
ReplyDeletehttp://pbs.twimg.com/media/CsK76urWgAA03Bj.jpg
ReplyDeletethis photo shows one of the first black students enrolled at Harry Harding High School, in Charlotte, North Carolina. this photo depicts the movement of African American people to have equal rights.
That is a very important movement. Thank you for sharing.
DeleteIn Spring 1989, peaceful protests were being held in China, largely by students who wished for a democratic reform. Crowds of protesters demonstrated in Tiananmen square, and in cities across the country. Thousands of students began a hunger strike.
ReplyDeleteOn May 19, roughly 1.2 million protesters gathered in Tiananmen square for a rally. In response, the Chinese government declared martial law, and on June 1st the Chinese government banned American news stations from Beijing.
Protesters in Tiananmen square rallied around the “goddess of democracy”, a large statue made of styrofoam and plaster. It looked similar to the statue of liberty.
Troops arrived at Tiananmen square on June 4th armed with guns and tanks, and opened fire on the crowd of protesters and crushed them with their tanks. It is unknown how many people were gathered, but it is estimated that hundreds or even thousands of people were killed. Some protesters lashed out and attacked the troops with rocks, and in some reports molotov cocktails. Some army vehicles were overturned and set on fire.
Despite the resistance, the protesters were completely overwhelmed. By the morning, almost all protesters had left the square. The “goddess of democracy” was crushed by tanks.
On June 5th, the “tank man” stood his ground against advancing tanks. That same day, 700,000 people gathered in Hong Kong for a memorial vigil.
After and during the protests, thousands of people were arrested. Many were imprisoned, and some were executed.
For people living in China, information on Tiananmen square is difficult to come by. The Chinese government censors almost everything available online, including searches of “tiananmen square”, and even associated dates. Mentions of it in sources such as textbooks are rare, and often downplayed. The official death toll put out by the Chinese government is around 240, which includes soldiers. It is referred to exclusively as an “incident”, rather than as a massacre, by the Chinese government.
Despite the ban on commemoration of the Tiananmen square massacre, a vigil is held yearly in Hong Kong on the anniversary of the events.
https://www.voanews.com/a/remembering-tiananmen-square/3886042.html
http://www.cnn.com/2013/09/15/world/asia/tiananmen-square-fast-facts/index.html
http://time.com/2822290/tiananmen-square-massacre-facts-time/
https://www.britannica.com/event/Tiananmen-Square-incident
Interesting summary of this event. This protest is historically very well known for the extreme measures that were taken on the protesters. While it is labeled an "incident" by the Chinese government, it is very much a massacre and things like that should not happen.
DeleteI agree with Tessa, Massacres and genocides must be put to an end.
DeleteThe media can affect the general populous in many ways. If allowed, the media can point out flaws in government systems that enlighten the public. In Canada, under Section 2 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, all people are entitled to “freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication”. This means that the media cannot be legally limited in what they publish.
ReplyDeleteMass media can also harm the public. Major media publishers tend to ignore things that wouldn’t be profitable, and instead go for the most controversial stories that would attract the most attention, and therefore generate the most capital. Although I can’t stop them, I personally think that selectively choosing which news to report based on their value and not necessarily their importance is wrong, as pointing out only the controversial things misleads the population into thinking the world is worse than it is. For example, the entire world is the most peaceful and prosperous time in all of history, but the media makes it seem like we’re undergoing World War III when talking about current conflicts.
http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/Const/page-15.html
Very interesting. I agree with you that sometimes the media makes things make the world look way worse than it actually is, when something is based upon one person's opinion.
Delete