Attempts by the Chinese regime to suppress the memory of the Tiananmen Square massacre were foiled this year by means natural and perhaps supernatural. While Western governments criticized regime policy, the share price on the heavily watched Shanghai Stock Exchange seemed to point to the date of the event.
The exchange opened at 2,346.98—a figure that resembles the date of the massacre written backward, followed by the 23rd anniversary (1989, June 4, 23). The index then went on close 64.89 points lower, in what appeared to be yet another reference to the date of the incident (June 4, 1989).
In China the Tiananmen Square massacre is commonly known as the “6.4 incident,” referring to the date it happened.
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China’s netizens were quick to catch on to the numbers. “Whoa, these figures are too freaky! Very cool!” said a microblogger.“The opening figure and the drop are both too creepy,” said another.
Chinese authorities responded swiftly to the event, blocking Internet searches for the terms “Shanghai stock” and “Shanghai stock market,” as well as deleting microblog postings that talked about the uncanny stock numbers.
This censorship was imposed on top of an earlier ban on the terms “six four,” “23,” “candle,” and “never forget.”
On June 3, the day before the anniversary of the massacre, U.S. State Department spokesman Mark Toner issued a statement urging the Chinese regime to redress the victims of the incident.
“We encourage the Chinese government to release all those still serving sentences for their participation in the demonstrations; to provide a full public accounting of those killed, detained or missing; and to end the continued harassment of demonstration participants and their families,” reads the State Department communiqué.
France followed suit, also on June 3. “France wants to see Chinese prisoners of conscience freed. We recall our unwavering commitment to the defense of human rights, including the fundamental right to freedom of expression, in China and around the world,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said.
At a regular press briefing Monday the People’s Republic of China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Liu Weimin, expressed “strong dissatisfaction” over the U.S. statement.
The regime’s dissatisfaction did not prevent the opening of the Shanghai Stock Exchange on June 4 from shocking Chinese citizens with a reminder of the massacre.
A candlelight vigil was held in Hong Kong on June 4 to mark the 23rd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Estimates for the event’s attendance ranged between 85,000 and 180,000, with 150,000 being the number claimed by event organizers.
