China: 'Tank Man', the Tiananmen Hero...Alive in Taiwan(All Hail to Tank Man!)

Yonhap News (via daum.net) ^ | 06/04/06 | Chung Joon-ho

[TigerLikesRooster]

/begin my translation

'Tank Man,' the Tiananmen Hero...Alive in Taiwan  

 

(Hong Kong= Yonhap News) Chung Joon-ho reporting = The  whereabout of the man who blocked tank (column) during Tiananmen Democracy Protest in 1989 and had become the symbol of the democracy movement has been finally uncovered. His name is Wang Weilin .

Ming-bao of Hong Kong reported on June 4th that Wang escaped to Taiwan fleeing from Chinese authorities' dragnet at the time, and is currently an adviser (on ceramic artifacts and antiques to) Taiwan's National Palace Museum in southern Taiwan.

On June 5, 1989, Wang stood in front of (a column of)  4 tanks entering Tiananmen Square, blocking its advance,  whose photo turned himself into a symbol of the uprising, but had disappeared since then, his whereabout remaining a mystery.

The world media which published the photo all lauded his courage, calling him the great hero of 20th century.

 There has been a rumor that Jiang Zemin who inherited power after the Tiananmen Uprising gave confidential order to track down Wang Weilin and executed him in secret, but it turned out to be false in the end.

 

According a professor who claimed to be his friend,  he was the captain of the Mawangduei Archaeology Team of Changsha, Hunan(my note: Mawangduei is the site of well-known ancient tombs) in early June 1989 when  the pro-democracy demonstrations broke out in the Chinese capital.  He traveled with a union group to Beijing to take part.

Wang Weilin became the member of Beijing Worker's Self-governing Association. On June 5th, he blocked a column of advancing tanks. Afterwards, he escaped Beijing with the help of his colleagues, and hid at some other locations for three years and seven months.

 

Wang Weilin is (not a real name but) an alias he used while working at the archeology team.

After arriving in Taiwan via Hong Kong, he got married there. While he is not in good health, he nevertheless insisted he wanted to convey to Chinese people the ideal of democracy and freedom by revealing his whereabout.

Wang Dan, one of the ring leaders of student movement at the time, proclaimed on the 17th anniversary of Tiananmen Uprising, "The memory of Tiananmen Uprising may be fading, but I am convinced that the day will come when the meaning of Tiananmen Democracy Uprising would come alive again."

Wang Dan was jailed for 10 years after the uprising, and later took political asylum in U.S. in '98. He is now pursuing Ph.D. degree in History at Harvard University. He is still active in promoting democracy and human right in China, including going on hunger strike at the anniversary every year. 

Wang Jun-tao, who also led the democracy protest and a member of Communist Youth League along with Wang Dan, was arrested in '91 for conspiracy to overthrow government, and sentenced to 13 years in prison, and jailed. He went to U.S. in '94. He got his Ph. D. degree at Columbia University recently, according to Asia Weekly. 

jooho@yna.co.kr

 

/end my translation

[Tai_Chung]

There has been a rumor that Jiang Zemin who inherited power after the Tiananmen Uprising gave confidential order to track down Wang Weilin and executed him in secret, but it turned out to be false in the end.

If they never caught him, how do they know they rumor is false?

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #21

Because he turned up in Taiwan today.:)

[Joe Boucher]

Someday the Wang Welins of China will unite to crush the chi-coms who most assuradly deserve to be crushed.
During the heady days of the democracy movement I know I was excited for the Chineese people. Only to have aspirations crushed and killed.
The Chineese deserve better then the communists. Hopefully a new boxer rebellion will someday break out and give the commies their come upance.

[CDHart]

I remember watching this on TV -- it was devastating. Especially when CNN (I think it was CNN) kept saying that the Chinese government was going to stop them from broadcasting. We watched as the uprising continued and then nothing, CNN was cut off because the Chinese government didn't want a record of what happened next.

Carolyn

[SkyPilot]

Good news.

Many of the others didn't make it out alive.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #25

Don't start on it. There are literally hundreds of grisly photos showing bloody mangled, crushed bodies. Some turned into meat pies. I hate to imagine how the place smelled like let alone looked like.

[Strategerist]

Interesting, he is an archeologist. I thought that he was just a college kid

Actually most people in the know never thought he was a college kid based on his appearance at the time. This was covered pretty well by the PBS Frontline on "Tank Man."

Quite a bit of mythology about what happened in those days....actually, not much of the massacre happened in Tienanmen Square, and most of the people killed were NOT college students - the students ended up surrendering.

The vast majority of the (probably in the thousands) killeds were by the Army trying to GET to Tienanmen Square - and most of the people killed were just average Joe Schmoe Middle-Age adults like Tank Man trying to block the Army from GETTING to Tienanmen Square and happened in the outer regions of the City.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #27

It is true that there were a lot of average guys, working class, involved. Students got the highlight, but it was a popular revolt. If the next uprising breaks out, it would be far larger than TAM Uprising.

[Kakaze]

Whether, this report is true or not, it's good to remind the world of this mans actions. He literally made a "One Man Stand".

It's the type of event that our children need to see and hear about every day. We live in a very unique situation, we are part of the American Experiment. Strong as we are, were still a young nation. Our enemies are many both around the world and here at home. Modern examples, of such supreme sacrifice are rare.

I honestly, hope this man is alive and living well, he deserves it he's done more than his part.

[PGalt]

BTTT!

[OldFriend]

I fail to understand why his whereabouts are being made public.

But then, maybe I do understand.

The MSM is embarrassed by such courage and wishes to see the man punished.

[ovrtaxt]

Awesome. I was wondering about him just the other day.

We never know when events will converge and place us in a position to change the world. He has become an anonymous icon.

[TigerLikesRooster]

Re #31

He wants to remind Chinese of what happened by stepping out into media coverage.

[Maigrey]

I have to laugh at the mediots who applaud courage at denouncing our way of life, but that one image there is a testimony to real courage: facing death but still standing there.

[Cincinnatus]

The Man With the Briefcase

[StAnDeliver]

The Chinese deserve better then the communists. Hopefully a new Boxer Rebellion will someday break out and give the commies their comeuppance.

The PLA worry about it night and day. Keeps 'em up late. I love it. Schadenfreude.

Wouldn't take much more than a minor food riot in Beijing to prime the pump of democratic revolution.

[Quix]

Thanks much.

But he'd best leave Taiwan soonish. China's coming.

[Straight Vermonter]

My oldest son was born on June 2, 1989. What a week. I don't think I will ever forget a minute of it.

[Wuli]

I want that picture displayed prominently in the area of the State Department where those assigned to the "Asia desk" work.

[Cincinnatus]

I always thought it would be a great idea to build a statue of the "Goddess of Democracy" and place it permanently in front of the Chinese Embassy. The current occupants would be incensed and the future occupants thrilled.