Quelling the People: The Military Suppression of the Beijing Democracy Movement

by Timothy Brook

This is a riveting, day-by-day, hour-by-hour reconstruction of the massacre in Tiananmen Square on June 3-4, 1989, as well as of the crucial events in Beijing during the previous weeks that largely precipitated the massacre. The author focuses on the army—the People's Liberation Army—which, with its motto "Serve the People," had always prided itself on its close ties to the civilian population. What were the intentions of the Chinese government in mobilizing the army against civilians? Why did the troops act as they did, and what does this say about how the army would act on the next such occasion? How does the military suppression of the democracy movement help us to understand China's current predicament over democratization and human rights?

Genres: China, History

291 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Timothy James Brook is a Canadian historian, sinologist, and writer specializing in the study of China (sinology). He holds the Republic of China Chair, Department of History, University of British Columbia.

His research interests include the social and cultural history of the Ming Dynasty in China; law and punishment in Imperial China; collaboration during Japan's wartime occupation of China, 1937–45 and war crimes trials in Asia; global history; and historiography.

Reviews

[Køni · Rating 4 out of 5]

States a lot of fact, about how the militaries were moving, how they submerge into the city and how they deploy the squad.

The how crackdown was due to the Chinese government has no ability and experience to deal with democratic movement, and they have no willing to end the movement in peaceful way.