The shadow of the Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989 looms large over the Beijing games. Reporters want free, unfettered access to the square; Chinese officials have said "No way". Instead, foreign journalists will have to register 24 hours in advance if they want to take photos or interview people in the square, and they will be accompanied by an escort at all times. They have even been instructed on which entrance they must use when visiting Tiananmen: the east side. Many have accused the Chinese of trying to control international perceptions of Tiananmen Square – Beijing's "blackened heart", as one reporter describes it – and no doubt that is true. Disgracefully, the Communist party of China's official position on the 1989 massacre is that it wasn't a noteworthy event. Officials still refer to it as "the incident", a...
[read full story]
Your Web Site
