Tank Man and Political Corruption
Self-Government and Political Accountability
S. J. Walker
TAKEN ON THE 5TH OF JUNE 1989 by American photographer Jeff Widener, this image was smuggled out of China in a box of tea. Many of you might have seen this photograph before, but while it is commonly regarded as one of the most iconic photos in history, very few are aware of its context.
In April of 1989, a large group of students, only a handful of years older than us, began to gather spontaneously in Tiananmen Square to protest against the Chinese Communist Party, demanding democracy, freedom of speech and freedom of press reforms.
Throughout the months, these protests gathered momentum whilst remaining peaceful – spreading into other states and universities. This rebellion would be brought to a halt, however, at 1.00am on June 3rd, when the “People’s Liberation Army” opened fire on the crowds.
At the end of June in 1989, the Chinese government said that 200 civilians died. In 2017, released UK documents revealed that the British Ambassador to China had recorded that, in fact, over 10,000 citizens were killed. There is still little clarity of the true events of the protests to this day, however perhaps the most alarming aspect of all is that with all internet and news censored by the Chinese government, there are no headlines or articles or information like the ones we see here. In fact, most of the Chinese population have no idea that these protests even occurred. And this brings us back to ‘Tank Man’.
As the column of tanks filed out of Tiananmen Square at midday the following day, an unarmed young man carrying grocery bags suddenly stepped out in front of the tanks. Instead of running over him, the first tank tried to go around, only for the young man to step in front of it again, and again, and again. Finally, the tank stopped and turned off its motor.
Upon stepping off the road, the young man was immediately whisked away by an unidentified group of people and disappeared into the crowd. Who he was and what became of him remains a mystery.
To a question such as this, we believe Tank Man and his moment in history provide a very vital answer.
This man exists in time as a symbol of revolt and defiance in the face of violent authoritarianism. His actions serve to teach us that we must safeguard our rights to individual and collective freedom in order to preserve our autonomy and expression.
And while our lives might seem disparate to the students whoprotested in Beijing thirty years ago, the truth is many dark aspects of political control are more prevalent in Australian society than we think.
Our nation prides itself on its rule of law. The ongoing Australian Parliament House sexual misconduct investigations, the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody and the breaches of human rights and restrictions on public journalism that occur in Australia’s offshore processing centres are proof that there are many fundamental changes that need to occur to strengthen the reliability and integrity of our government.
Further, the unprecedented importance of the rule of law is emphasised in a rapidly changing world of enhancing technology, whereby surveillance cameras and the reliability of news and broadcasts make it easier for leaders to exploit freedoms and manipulate information.
In many ways, Tank Man’s narrative should serve as a reminder of the democratic rights we are fortunate to have as Australians, which are not enjoyed by many other populations. However, inexplicably tethered to these rights is a responsibility to give voice to sociopolitical wrongs and incite change.
This is especially imperative in our turbulent era of pandemics, developing artificial intelligence and important changing cultural perceptions of the way we view and treat marginalised social groups. Ultimately, in order to be critical and informed citizens, we have a responsibility to remain educated and interested in the workings of our government and law, so as to keep our government accountable for the power that they exercise and preserve all forms of freedom. As the next generation of leaders and citizens, this is a change that starts with us.