20th Anniversary of June 4 Massacre

Twenty years ago, in the small hours of June 4, the People's Liberation Army took action to clear the Tienanmen Square of the occupying student demonstrators with tanks. Official announcement claimed that no one person was killed.
The whole world was watching since May 1989 when Gorbachev visited China. Therefore, there was no lack of coverage by Western media. In a sense, the presence of foreign media helped fuel the demonstration. Nowadays, we can easily gain access to video clips on YouTube.
At the approach of the 20^th anniversary, governments are getting nervous and tighten their grip on dissidents. We are lucky in Hong Kong because we are still allowed to voice our dissident views.
Some prominent party members choose self-censorship. They prefer remaining reticent. We respect their right to silence.
Some government officials try to evade the whole issue by focussing instead on the economic advances China achieved since 1989. This is a bad tactic because linking economic bloom with what happened at Tienanmen Square is wishful thinking. There are many factors contributing to economic successes. I am afraid bloodshed cannot be one of them. Even if such a link could be proved beyond doubt, it would be a bad morality. We should not achieve an end with a ruthless means.
Some put the blame on student leaders. These young people only cared about demonstration. They did not know when and how to retreat with dignity. Therefore, they were also responsible for the bloodshed. However, this accusation is unfair to the student leaders. They were not strategists and you cannot demand of them what they did not possess. Rather, the burden should be lay on the shoulder of the government which had all the resources in their hands. They were able to turn the demonstration into a celebration, a carnival. Am I too fanciful?

Dear Lord, for those of us thousands of miles away, we could only watch doctored video clips, listen to sensational speeches and recordings. As Christians, we know that You have been watching closely. You certainly could hear the blood of the innocent crying from the ground (Genesis 4:10). We know that the blood of martyrs sows the seed of the Kingdom of justice and peace. May justice and peace prevail in our mother land. Amen.