This summer there were a number of commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square tragedy. There may have been 100,000 peacefully protesting when the military crackdown occurred. Who knows how many died. Official reports say it was 200-300. Chinese Student Associations put the number at 2,000 to 3,000. Dozens remain in prison.
I only recently read about a group of Chinese Christians that gathered on June 4 to remember the event. Many of these had been student leaders in the pro-democracy movement. The group released a statement calling for repentance, truth and reconciliation. These eighty Christians said the events had not only rocked our souls, they had also awakened our sense of social justice. A search for meaning led these leaders to Christian faith.
As the Chinese economic miracle thunders ahead, let us remember those who struggle for basic human rights. They have seen no such leap ahead. But after what they have been through, it is unlikely they will be dissuaded.
Peter
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