Tiananmen Square to the Berlin Wall; D-Day to Cairo University - the Universal Struggle for Human Rights

Americans live in the now. We are still a young country. China can debate whether to bulldoze a 400-year old section of Beijing, while LA finds a 1960's motel "historic." Yet reflection can be triggered by anniversaries, and we'd be well advised to slow down over this week and consider what we've learned about the struggle for human rights in light of a few earth-shattering events from 20 years ago, as well as other intersections of news headlines with epic struggles past and present.

June 4 marks the 20th anniversary of the massacre in Beijing's Tiananmen Square and the crushing of the public manifestations of the pro-democracy movement. The Spring of 1989 had seen students and intellectuals mobilize for greater freedom and opportunity, acutely conscious that their focus on human rights was putting communist regimes on the defensive around the world. The images from Tiananmen Square are burned into our collective memory, particularly the footage of the lone protester trying to bar with his body a long line of tanks. He succeeded in slowing, but not stopping, the inexorable grinding of the tank's gears, and even as freedom grew elsewhere, the Chinese government's grip was tightened.

But all was not lost, that Spring of '89. The shipyards of Gdansk, which had earlier given birth to Solidarity, produced by that summer a coalition government, and by Autumn, the Berlin Wall did fall.

These events were considered together in a PBS primetime special of the 1989 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Awards ceremony (you can watch it here):

So many things seem so fresh and poignantly promising: Ted Kennedy's opening speech is eloquent and compelling and the man's physical power is a reminder of how vital a force he is and has been, even as he fights to recover from brain cancer. The RFK Human Rights Award for 1989 was presented in absentia, as its honoree Fang Lizhi was with his family -- hiding in the US Embassy in Beijing, avoiding imprisonment by the Chinese government as a dissident. It would be more than a year before he and his family could leave, a hero having to flee his own country.

Fang's acceptance speech (read by Orville Schell) speaks of being moved by an award that shows he is "not alone... but filled with sorrow that in the land of [his] birth, human dignity has again been trampled upon". Fang reminds us that the struggle for human rights is global and ceaseless. We should ponder that on June 4th.

As it turns out, the 20th anniversary of the extinguishing of freedom's torch in Tiananmen Square occurs on the same day President Obama will reach out to the Muslim world at what used to be its intellectual center, Cairo University. Two decades ago, Fang noted "how far we are from accomplishing what we must in the cause of advancing respect for all human beings." On Thursday, an American president with African roots will take what is expected to be a message of hope and freedom to one of the most troubled and turbulent regions on Earth.

How far have we come far in the 20 years since Tiananmen? How much more freedom is there in the world, two decades on from the collapse of the Soviet Empire? To ponder this, listen to the eloquence of the Kennedys (both Ted, and via audio from his 1966 Capetown speech, Robert), Fang Lizhi and the others at the '89 RFK Awards; then on Thursday listen to President Obama trying to give voice to the common love of freedom and the necessity of human respect, in front of a host whose regime, like oligarchs in China and governments elsewhere, has lost few opportunities to roll over its opposition.

Moreover, as the dates align, contemplate too that on Saturday, we will mark the 65th anniversary of D-Day, the critical turning point in the largest and most encompassing struggle for universal human rights. And then sadly recognize that this weekend is also the 41st anniversary of Robert Kennedy's death. Quite a lot of history to remember in a week ... and quite a few ideals to try to reclaim.

Rick Allen is the CEO of SnagFilms, which offers free viewing of documentaries, including those about the human rights milestones described above.

 

 

Comments

[Chase Masterson]

Beautifully and powerfully said. I must admit, I hadn't intended to watch the entire PBS piece. But once I started, I couldn't turn it off, and the wisdom of Fang Lizhi and Lec Walesa echo through my mind:

"How can we not seek to build a world in which the rights to every human being from birth are respected?"

"It is only when we stand on the shoulders of the giant that is knowledge that we will change the course of history, and only through knowledge will we be able to overcome the violence of ignorance its very roots."

Thank you for sharing this knowledge, and for the timely reminder of the privileges we enjoy and the responsibility we have to contend for human rights of every kind, everywhere.

[Scott Sporn]

Today, Chinese authorities have instituted censoring measures to block access to several internet sites and services in anticipation of today's 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protest and massacre. Thanks Rick Allen and SnagFilms for figuring out how to have documentary films incorporated into articles. Hopefully China won't block those as well.

[Sam Wygodny]

Powerful article on this anniversary of one of the worlds biggest crimes against freedom. 20 years later not much has changed with the blocking of twitter and social media pages.

Wonder what the next 20 years will be like.

[Ross Koenig]

On this day, Chinese authorities have instituted censoring measures to block access to several internet sites and services in anticipation of Thursday’s 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protest. We must not forget the massacre and struggle of those from two decades past. Great article and kudos on the site.