(Note: VI and IV are the numbers 6 and 4 in Roman numerals, respectively. When put together (6.4), the two numbers refers to the day June 4, 1989, the day when the Chinese army advanced into Tienanmen Square in Beijing to remove the citizens encamped there, killing hundreds of them in the process.)
"Not wanting to recall; not willing to forget" is a statement expressing the sentiments of many towards the what happened in Tienanmen Square on June 4, 1989. As the 20th anniversary of this day approaches, it is certain the event will resurface in many people's memories. Some of the recent developments, however, are quite unsettling and remind us why we should not forget what happened 20 years ago, even if recalling the event can be painful.
There is an growing effort to get people to forget about this episode and to look forward, by stating that "since 1989, the country has made great strides and achievements, economically and socially". Some have begun trying to cast doubt on the eyewitnesses' account of what happened. This is done by questioning the motives of those who were there, debating whether the protest leaders were in fact foreign agents, and claiming the casualty figures were exaggerated. While many people's opinion on the event has shifted (due to political expediency or lure of financial gain), many, myself included, still think that the government is at fault (for using tanks and firing on unarmed citizens) and the protest leaders should be exonerated.
Some of the above claims are made by those who were too young to understand what had happened. A lot of their knowledge of the event come from history class in school. Unfortunately, most history textbooks (in town or in the mainland) make little mention of the episode, if at all, and tend to gloss over what happened. Truthfully describing what happened at Tienanmen Square on June 4, 1989 and the events leading up to that day would be a good start to change the younger generation's perception of the event.
From time to time, many Chinese officials and citizens are very vocal in demanding the Japanese to "stop twisting history" and to acknowledge the atrocities their ancestors committed in China during World War II. Strangely, they are a lot more hush-hush when it comes to atrocities Chinese officials commit on its own citizens — the imprisonment and surveillance of those who travel to Beijing to report on mismanagement by municipal governments, the construction of sub-standard school buildings that killed thousands of schoolchildren in the Sichuan earthquake. Likewise, the Chinese officials do not even dare to mention the clearing out of Tienanmen Square directly. Any citizen referring the event by its date, 6.4, risks being arrested and imprisoned. It is as if the officials feel what happened was despicable and believe that "shameful acts within the family should be kept in the family". Is it because they too believe that what happened at Tienanmen Square on June 4, 1989 is unconscionable?
The most repulsive defense of the government's action I have heard is "had the military not intervened, China would not be so prosperous today". This statement has, to paraphrase one of Chinese officials' favourite statements, "severely hurt the feelings of many Chinese people". There is no dobut that the growth of the Chinese economy in the past decade has been phenomenal. However, had military action not taken place, there would have been no trade embargo in the 1990's and less hesitation from foreign countries and firms when it comes to providing advanced technology and technical know-how. This would (most likely) make China an even bigger economic power today. The foreigners, people in the Western world in particular, may even be less wary of China's rise in economic and political clout.
Some may consider myself to be one of those who are influenced, perhaps even brainwashed, by what Chinese officials refer to as "foreign forces". In some ways, I WAS brainwashed — the images in the news back then left a lasting image on me, a boy who had yet to turn 10 at the time, and made me wonder how can a government that opens fire on its own citizens be trusted. A lot of the mistrust I have towards the Chinese government can be traced back to that day 20 years ago and it has not subsided to this day. While some improvements have been made, I still do not have a lot of trust towards the Chinese government. Acknowledging what happened in Tienanmen Square and admitting that, in sending the military to clear the square, a grave mistake was made would be a good start in regaining my trust in the Chinese government (even though I don't have high hopes on that happening).