Tiananmen Square crackdown being forgotten in China 36 years on
Wednesday marks 36 years since the violent crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.
A number of students and citizens in and around the square became victims when soldiers fired at them on June 4, 1989.
The Chinese government puts the death toll at 319, but many believe the actual figure is much higher.
The square and the avenue leading to it have been under tight security since last week.
Police have been conducting ID checks on pedestrians, apparently to discourage memorial events and other activities.
Families who lost their loved ones in the incident have been demanding to know what really happened and who is to be held responsible.
One family member has been unable to return to their home in Beijing since Sunday, apparently under pressure from authorities.
The individual told NHK over the phone that they cannot say much at present.
The Chinese government maintains that its response to what it describes as "turmoil" was correct.
But it has been thoroughly quashing speech about the incident. Even the number "64" is considered taboo in China, as it invokes the date of the crackdown.
In Beijing, most people refused to speak to foreign media.
A woman in her 30s from Shanxi Province said she vaguely remembers hearing about the incident, but she does not know the details. She added that she never learned about it.
More and more younger-generation Chinese are unaware of the incident 36 years on.
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