Universal Ramblings

During the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, one Chinese citizen stood in front of a line of oncoming tanks, in an attempt to prevent them from entering the Square. Although he was ultimately unsuccessful, his image was broadcast around the world in video and still footage, and he came to be known as “Tank Man,” or the Unknown Rebel, in a reference to his incredible act of bravery. Tank Man has become an iconic symbol of the Chinese democracy movement, and his image is familiar to many people around the world. (See Tank Man Video below)

The Tiananmen Square protests were organized by thousands of Chinese students and activists who wanted to see a change in the way their nation was run. They are accompanied by similar protests and marches all over China, and quickly became a topic of international interest. Ultimately, the Chinese government put down the rebellion extremely violently, with the aid of soldiers and tanks. Thousands were injured and killed by Chinese soldiers, despite the efforts of people who tried to stand against them.

Little is publicly known of the man’s identity or that of the commander of the lead tank. Shortly after the incident, British tabloid the Sunday Express named the man as Wang Weilin (王维林), a 19-year-old student^, who was later charged with “political hooliganism” and “attempting to subvert members of the People’s Liberation Army however, the veracity of this claim is dubious. Numerous rumors have sprung up as to the man’s identity and current whereabouts, but none are backed by hard evidence.

Tank Man has become a symbolic figure for a number of reasons. The first is related to his ordinariness. Tank Man is plainly dressed, and in all of the images of him, he is carrying a bag of shopping. He clearly illustrates that any citizen can be brave enough to stand up to injustice by being so unremarkable. He was also incredibly bold, at one point climbing up onto the leading tank and having a heated exchange with the driver before members of the crowd pulled him off to hide him from retribution.

In the weeks following the Tiananmen massacre, Chinese officials stick with the party line that hordes of “counterrevolutionaries” rampaged in Beijing and throughout China and the government had been justified in forcefully ending the rebellion. Tens of thousands are arrested, many are imprisoned, and an unknown number are executed. The government states “not one person” was killed in Tiananmen Square and only 241 people died when PLA troops and “rioters” fought in the streets.

In September 1989, Beijing officials set up an exhibit at the city’s military museum to explain why they had to forcefully end the “anti-government riot.” It features more than 4,000 exhibits: burned out tanks and armored personnel carriers, photographs of soldiers who had been burned to death or hanged from overpasses, and photos of burning buses and clashes between students and police in riot gear. There is also a film depicting the army’s efforts to restore order. The exhibit features some essays on democracy written by dissident Fang Lizhi, exhibited as an example of the misguided beliefs about Chinese communism that led to the demonstrations. It was one of the most popular sections of the exhibit because Fang’s writings were banned.

On June 4, 1994, the fifth anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre, Li Peng, stills serving as Premier, announces new security regulations defining political discussions outside the Party line as sabotage.

In June 2004, the government produces a five-hour documentary on the Tiananmen 1989 protests, portraying them as “counterrevolutionary rebellion,” and requiring officials around the country to view it.

Video of Tank Man