慢一拍淡六四

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原本没想到要写六四，但看到那么多的马来西亚华人关心它，也想加一口。

1989年4月，中共前总书记胡耀邦病逝。北京的大学生在天安门广场示威，要求政府加速推行政治改革。改革派领袖赵紫阳亲自到天安门广场劝请学生解散，但学生们不听从。最高领导人邓小平忍无可忍，于6月4日下令军队镇压示威的学生。

有政治评论家指出，学生们不听从赵紫阳劝告是一个错误。如果他们及早从天安门解散，不只能够避免流血事件，赵紫阳也或许会保住官位，并继续推动改革。（六四后赵紫阳被撤职和软禁。）

六四之后，中共因担心事件重演而加紧推行爱国教育，结果培养出了一大批高度敌视外国的愤怒青年。近年来中国迅速发展，已崛起成为新一代超级强国，向来有『中国情意结』的大马华人，也觉得沾上一份光荣。问题是，中国愈强大，中共愈难受挑战，六四学生所追求的政治改革，也更难落实。

事实上，中国人忙于赚钱，已不再关心政治。偏偏大马的炎黄子孙念念不忘六四，并希望『神州』能够民主化，这是否有点多管闲事呢？

P/S 与其大谈六四，不如到怡保参观『民主树』。霹雳州发展相对落后，正需要你们的游客钱。

Tiananmen Square Incident, 20 years on

I didn’t have the intention to write about the 20^th anniversary of Tiananmen Square Incident. Having observed that Chinese Malaysians care so much about it, I changed my mind.

In April, 1989, Hu Yaobang, former secretary general of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) died. University students of Beijing staged protest in Tiananmen Square, urging the government to push through political reform. Reformist leader Zhao Ziyang personally went to Tiananmen Square, where he persuaded the students to disperse. The students refuse to listen to him. Finally, supreme leader Deng Xiaoping ordered a crackdown on the demonstrator on the 4th of June.

Some political analysts point out that the students’ refusal to listen to Zhao was a mistake. If they left Tiananmen Square in time, no only would violence be avoided, but Zhao might be able to keep his post. (Zhao was sacked following the protest, and placed under home arrest until his death.)

Following the aftermath of the demonstration, Beijing stressed teaching of patriotism in school. Such teaching has produced a large numbers of ultra-nationalist youths who are skeptical of foreigners. The spectacular rise of the Middle Kingdom in the past few years has made it the world’s new super power. Even Chinese Malaysians feel proud of the achievement of their ancestors’ homeland. The issue is: The stronger China is, the more difficult it is to challenge the authority of CCP. Democracy yearned by the protesting students in Tiananmen Square would remain a dream.

In fact, Mainland Chinese are so busy making money that they have lost interest in politics. Ironically, it is Chinese Malaysians who can’t let go of the ghost of the pro-democracy crackdown which took place 20 years ago. Aren’t we too busybody?

P/S Rather than commemorating the Tiananmen Square incident, Chinese Malaysians are urged to visit the ‘democracy tree’ in Ipoh. Perak, my home state, lags in development and needs your tourist money.