week 6

Critical Practice

Rosetta Brooks

Dunhuang Chen  0244729

Longque Chen  0244728

                                                                    “TANK MAN”

This photo reveal the one of the most famous scene from the Tiananmen Squire Masscre, commonly known in China as the June Fourth Incident were student-led demonstrations in Beijing in 1989. It refers to the quite meaningful national social movement inspired by the Beijing protests during the period, it is also called ` 89 Democracy Movement. The protests were forcibly suppressed after the government declared martial law. In what became widely known as the Tiananmen Square Massacre, troops with assault rifles and tanks killed at least several hundred demonstrators trying to block the military's advance towards Tiananmen Square. The number of civilian deaths has been estimated at anywhere between the hundreds to the thousands.

Set against a background of rapid economic development and social changes in post Mao-era China, the protests reflected concerns about the country's future in the popular consciousness and among the political elite. The reforms of the 1980s had led a early market economy which benefited only few but seriously disaffected majority of others; the one-party political system also faced a challenge of legitimacy. Common grievances at the time included inflation, limited preparedness of graduates for the new economy, and restrictions on political participation. The students expected for democracy, greater accountability, freedom of the press, and freedom of speech, though they were loosely organized and their goals varied At the height of the protests, about a million people assembled in the Square.

As the protests increased, the authorities veered back and forth between conciliatory and hardline tactics, exposing deep divisions within the party leadership. By May, a student-led hunger strike galvanized support for the demonstrators around the country and the protests spread to some 400 cities. Ultimately, China's paramount leader Deng Xiaoping and other party elders believed the protests to be a political threat, and resolved to use force. Party authorities declared martial law on May 20, and mobilized as many as 300,000 troops to Beijing.

This Tank Man (also known as the Unknown Protester or Unknown Rebel) is the nickname of an unidentified man who stood in front of a column of tanks on June 5, 1989, the morning after the Chinese military had suppressed the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 by force. As the lead tank maneuvered to pass by the man, he repeatedly shifted his position in order to obstruct the tank's attempted path around him. The incident was filmed and seen worldwide. There were only a few sources who caught the video on tape.

More than 25 years after the incident, there is no reliable information about the identity or fate of the man; the story of what happened to the tank crew is also unknown. At least one witness has stated that "Tank Man" was not the only person who had opposed the tanks during the protest. Shao Jiang, who was a student leader, said: "I witnessed a lot of the people standing up, blocking the tanks." Tank Man is unique in that he is the only one who was photographed and videoed. The rumor said that, this Tank Man was under arrested and was executed secretly, the order is given by the former President of China- Zemin Jiang.

The incident took place at the north edge of Tiananmen Square, along Chang'an Avenue, on June 5, 1989, one day after the Chinese government's violent crackdown on the Tiananmen protests. The man stood in the middle of the wide avenue, directly in the path of a column of approaching Type 59 tanks. He wore a white shirt and black trousers, and he held two shopping bags. As the tanks came to a stop, the man gestured towards the tanks with one of the bags. In response, the lead tank attempted to drive around the man, but the man repeatedly stepped into the path of the tank in a show of nonviolent action. After repeatedly attempting to go around rather than crush the man, the lead tank stopped its engines, and the armored vehicles behind it seemed to follow suit. There was a short pause with the man and the tanks having reached a quiet, still impasse. 

1. monster represent culture

Obviously, the Tank Man stands in the middle of Tanks and Tiananmen, his brave action is preventing the freemen being consumed by tanks. They are the real state apparatus and trying to crash those people who were trying to against state will. The state apparatus here is absolutely a monster. A monster stands for the imperial power and authority. As we know the imperial power plays significant role in ancient China till now. The royal authority is a huge part of Chinese culture and they are impossible to be challenged and unquestionable. Once you become a emperor( does not like kings and bishop, their power is limited by laws and other ministers), the supreme absolute power is acquired which means you own everything, the land, animals, any resources even all the people. Even in 21th century, being a governor means the best way to the wealth and higher power. The DNA of authoritarianism is still running in  Chinese blood vessel( mostly) and being inherited by the generations and generations, being the legacy of new generations. It is the stronghold of Chinese traditional culture. the state apparatus like army and police are still loyal to the CCP but not the people and the country. This monster is everywhere through the entire Chinese history and they are defend for their master- the emperor.

2. monster represent hidden desire

Since the beginning of Chinese civilization, the two classes have been determined, rulers and slaves or governors and civilians, they are living in different world and dreaming about the same thing-becoming the emperor by what means necessary. The people who is under ruled have no chance to test their desires. Therefore those people have to hide their desires and they do their best to discipline themselves to live.  However people could realize their nasty desire once they are being part of state apparatus and they can do whatever they want through privilege.

3 monsters represent some sort of warning of the unknown

The authority does what necessary to maintain their power as well as what Chinese government behaved during the Tiananmen Squire incident. They sent the troops, tanks to suppress those protesters. In fact, people were fighting for freedom of expression and speech because the CCP controlled all press to cover their dark history and countless crimes they have done. This monster-state apparatus is made for preventing people from digging truth. They warned and threaten to anyone who tired to approach the truth.

4 They can change the form whatever they want, troops, tanks, express, education......

During the Tiananmen event, the monsters are those troopers, politicians who sent orders, war machines, polices and even those angry citizens. After 1989 event, the government has realized these issues could not be solved by forces anymore. If the monster still wanted to rule the world without using bloody and cruel strategies, it has to be reshaped itself. The new monster has emerged as the education system to the young generation who were born near the 1990s, for those young newborns, they have no chance to access any information about 1989 event, nothing could be found from books, and Internet. This new monster covered and reversed the trues, those students who had fought for freedom and human right became the “Monster” in the education materials, but solders, politicians, war machines were the saviors. Its been 28 years since tiananmen slaughter, more and more young students being monsters after brainwashed, that monster which has taken hundreds of citizens’ life has gone ever, however, the new monster is everywhere right now.