Hunger Strikers Announcement Summary
Hunger Strikers' Announcement
May 12, 1989
This is an announcement from the hunger strikers in Tiananmen Square to the Chinese people. The main message that I got from the document was that they weren't striking to create chaotic disturbances or because they wanted to, but because they didn't agree with the things going on in China. They describe China's current state in the following lines: "rampant inflation; widespread illegal business dealings by corrupt officials; the dominance of abusive power; the corruption of bureaucrats; the fleeing of a large number of good people to other countries; and the deterioration of law and order" (page 170). The authors' focus is definitely on issues within their country rather than global interactions.
They are protesting this to bring light to the subject in hope of changing it. "This country is our country, the people are our people, the government is our government. Who will shout if we don't? Who will act if we don't?" (page 170). They don't agree with the way the country is being run and they have to do something about it. They ask all Chinese people who label them as gang like and a "chaotic disturbance" to question what crimes they are actually committing. In reality they are just students participating in a patriotic and democratic movements. They often state that they don't want to be doing this, but they see no other choice. "Although death for us is still seemingly too harsh to bear, we have to part with life. When history demands us to do so, we have no choice but to die" (page 170). This document coincides with the global changes going on in 1989 because many other countries were revolting against communism.
May 12, 1989
This is an announcement from the hunger strikers in Tiananmen Square to the Chinese people. The main message that I got from the document was that they weren't striking to create chaotic disturbances or because they wanted to, but because they didn't agree with the things going on in China. They describe China's current state in the following lines: "rampant inflation; widespread illegal business dealings by corrupt officials; the dominance of abusive power; the corruption of bureaucrats; the fleeing of a large number of good people to other countries; and the deterioration of law and order" (page 170). The authors' focus is definitely on issues within their country rather than global interactions.
They are protesting this to bring light to the subject in hope of changing it. "This country is our country, the people are our people, the government is our government. Who will shout if we don't? Who will act if we don't?" (page 170). They don't agree with the way the country is being run and they have to do something about it. They ask all Chinese people who label them as gang like and a "chaotic disturbance" to question what crimes they are actually committing. In reality they are just students participating in a patriotic and democratic movements. They often state that they don't want to be doing this, but they see no other choice. "Although death for us is still seemingly too harsh to bear, we have to part with life. When history demands us to do so, we have no choice but to die" (page 170). This document coincides with the global changes going on in 1989 because many other countries were revolting against communism.