Tiananmen + 20: Tribute To Unknown Rebel

Photographs, it is said, speak more eloquently than words. The Associated Press photo of Vietnamese girl Phan Thi Kim Phúc running for life is still the lasting image of the Vietnam War. And the photo of the Unknown rebel versus the mighty Red Army is the vivid image of the Tiananmen protest of the Chinese youth (photo above).

Nalaka Gunawardene, the Sri Lankan journalist, presents the dramatic moment: “This is of the most famous photos of modern times. The official caption, given by Associated Press, reads: ‘An anti-government protester stands in front of artillery tanks in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on June 5, 1989, at the height of the pro-democracy protests.’

“It’s a moment deeply etched in the consciousness of our media-saturated world. The solitary, unarmed man was standing up against not just a brute of a tank, but the might of the entire Chinese Red Army, which had just cracked down ruthlessly on pro-democracy student protests.

“It was on the morning of June 5 that the Tank Man appeared from nowhere. A line of 18 tanks were pulling out of Tiananmen Square and driving east along the Avenue of Eternal Peace. The previous day, the square had been cleared of students and much blood had been spilled. The streets were now empty except for soldiers.

“Suddenly a man in a white shirt and black trousers, with a shopping bag in each hand, steps out on to the road and stands waiting as the tanks approach. The lead vehicle halts, assessing its options.

“It moves right to go around him. The man waves the shopping bag in his right hand then dances a few steps to the left to block the tank again. The tank swerves back left to avoid him. The man waves the bag again and steps to the right. Then both stop. The tank even turned off its engine.

“Then more things happened. Watch a video montage of this breathtaking standoff, captured by western journalists filming from a safe distance…” More here…