【明報專訊】TODAY marks the 36th anniversary of the June Fourth Incident. Back in 1989, Beijing residents and students took to the streets en masse with patriotic fervour, expressing their remembrance of deceased General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Hu Yaobang and their demands for eradicating official profiteering and rampant corruption. Tragically, the movement ended in bloodshed, leaving profound sorrow and a deep scar on China's century-long path of rejuvenation.
China's path to national rejuvenation has been fraught with challenges, and the June Fourth Incident stands as one of the most painful setbacks since its reform and opening-up. The incident was triggered by the death of Hu Yaobang on 15 April 1989, during the tenth year of China's reform and opening-up policy. While people saw hope brought by the reforms, the growing corruption left many disillusioned.
Having dedicated his whole life to serving the people, Hu had a reputation of being "unsoiled by graft" and open-minded, a stark contrast to the bureaucratic malpractices then. People in Beijing gathered at Tiananmen Square on their own initiative to mourn him and express their discontent with profiteering and corrupt officials, as well as surging inflation. It eventually evolved into a patriotic, democratic movement led by university students. Although the situation became more complicated later, the people and students who participated in the movement were driven by a sincere hope for national progress. Their patriotic spirit should not be denied.
China's reform and opening-up was stalled after the incident until Deng Xiaoping made the 1992 Southern Tour, during which he reaffirmed the policy and finally dispelled the fog surrounding the country's road ahead. In the next three decades, China has embarked on a path of rapid development. Not only has it achieved remarkable progress in poverty alleviation, but it has even become the world's second-largest economy.
Beijing has set the targets of joining the ranks of developed countries by 2035 and building China into a modern socialist power in all respects by the centennial of New China's founding. Notwithstanding that, looking forward does not mean forgetting history. Left behind during the process of national rejuvenation, June Fourth is a thorn that needs to be properly addressed.
Some US politicians and overseas anti-China forces have fussed over the annual topic of June Fourth on the pretext of democracy and human rights. However, there are also many who, with a patriotic heart for the state and the nation, hope that the historical wound left by June Fourth can be healed. Their utter sincerity should not be confused with those harbouring ulterior motives. As long as the June Fourth scar remains, external antagonist forces will continue to have a basis for attack, dealing blows to China's moral authority over international affairs.
Many victims of the June Fourth Incident were innocent ordinary people. Even though the authorities have concluded this political turmoil, justice can still be restored to the deceased and their families.
明報社評 2025.06.04：民族復興邁腳步 歷史傷痛妥撫平
今天是六四事件36周年，當年北京大批民眾和學生出於一片愛國丹心走上街頭，表達對已故中共總書記胡耀邦的懷念，以及反官倒、反腐敗的訴求，事件最後以流血告終，不僅令人悲痛，同時亦在百載民族復興之路上，留下了一道深刻的傷疤。
中華民族復興之路，過程崎嶇跌宕，而六四事件正是改革開放以來，摔得相當痛的一跤。六四事件源於1989年4月15日胡耀邦逝世，當時改革開放來到第十個年頭，人們既看到改革所帶來的希望，同時也因為腐敗的滋長而感到迷惘。
胡耀邦一生為民，兩袖清風，思想開明，與當時官場一些歪風對比鮮明，大批北京民衆自發到天安門廣場悼念胡耀邦，藉此表達對官倒貪腐和物價飈升的不滿，其後逐步演變成一場由大學生牽頭的愛國民主運動。雖然往後事態發展愈來愈複雜，然而當日參與這場運動的民眾和學生，都是出於一片丹心，希望國家進步，他們的愛國情懷，不應該否定。
六四事件後，國家改革開放一度停滯，直至1992年鄧小平南巡，重申改革開放，圍繞國家前路的迷霧，終於得到消除。之後30多年，國家走上高速發展道路，不僅滅貧有成，更成為全球第二大經濟體。
國家訂下的目標，是2035年躋身發達國家之列，並於新中國成立100年時，全面建成社會主義現代化強國。然而向前看不等於淡忘歷史，六四事件是民族復興過程中遺下的一根刺，需要妥為拔除。
美國政客和海外各股反華力量假借民主人權之名，操作六四周年議題。不過話說回來，也有很多人是出於愛國家愛民族之心，希望六四事件所遺下的歷史傷痛得到撫平，不應將他們的赤誠，跟別有用心者混為一談。六四傷痕一日未去，外部敵對力量就繼續有攻擊的話柄，影響到國家在國際事務上的道德權威。
六四事件不少死難者是無辜百姓，即使當局對這場政治風波早有定論，依然可以還死者及家屬一個公道。
/ Glossary生字 /
fervour：very strong feelings about sth
rejuvenation：the process of making sth more effective, modern, and successful by using new ideas and methods
graft：the use of illegal or unfair methods, especially bribery, to gain advantage in business, politics, etc