Tiananmen Massacre, Beijing, 4.6.89 (20th anniversary)
After 20 years,I finally got over this incident and the first step is to face the facts, see and read what really happened. I am thankful I got out of Shanghai a week before the tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square. We were holed up in Shanghai with no news on the situation as the Communists had blocked out all news. Soldiers were everywhere on the streets in Shanghai and the worst was a Communist leader was placed under 'house arrest' in our hotel complex. Military was guarding the 'guest house' and their rifles with bayonets attached was intimidating. It was scary for me to take MM out to play. After reaching KL and seeing the terrible massacre on TV, foreigners fighting for plane tickets to leave China, I was thankful that the Americans (they have their Intelligence/spies) had tipped us off on the impending military assault on Tiananmen! This gave me the only opportunity to fly First Class (Shanghai to HK). Reason: Urgent evacuation, political turmoil. It was a flight I will never forget. When will I ever get to fly first class, fully sponsored again? So comfortable spacious seats.
After 20 years,I finally got over this incident and the first step is to face the facts, see and read what really happened. I am thankful I got out of Shanghai a week before the tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square. We were holed up in Shanghai with no news on the situation as the Communists had blocked out all news. Soldiers were everywhere on the streets in Shanghai and the worst was a Communist leader was placed under 'house arrest' in our hotel complex. Military was guarding the 'guest house' and their rifles with bayonets attached was intimidating. It was scary for me to take MM out to play. After reaching KL and seeing the terrible massacre on TV, foreigners fighting for plane tickets to leave China, I was thankful that the Americans (they have their Intelligence/spies) had tipped us off on the impending military assault on Tiananmen! This gave me the only opportunity to fly First Class (Shanghai to HK). Reason: Urgent evacuation, political turmoil. It was a flight I will never forget. When will I ever get to fly first class, fully sponsored again? So comfortable spacious seats.
This Tiananmen Massacre incident was responsible for changing the course of my life. Thats why it was blocked out of my mind, but with God's healing, I was delivered. Today I shed tears for all the lives that were lost, families who lost their loved ones and the soldiers who died too. It was said about 10,000 died and 20,000 wounded. Dead bodies were burnt by the Communist Government to prevent the world from knowing the actual number of dead protestors (who were mostly young students and workers). Where in the past I blamed and cursed all the protestors, today I sympathise them. They only wanted DEMOCRACY. We were at the wrong place wrong time, and things happened for a reason. Fate.
A few days later, I received a telephone call from London that my mother-in-law passed away. She was blind and bedridden, hearing the news that China was in turmoil, army tanks, gunfire, curfew, chaos, massacre, foreigners scrambling to get out must have caused her much worry and anxiety. Also the fact that her son had not much telephone contact with her didnt helped either. So MM lost her grandmother this way which reminded me that I lost my grandmother because of the May 13, 1969 riots in Kuala Lumpur. A masked soldier fired a rifle at me and my grandma, which luckily missed but my grandma died a few days later. That cruel faceless soldier - I will never forget. He will be punished by God, definitely!
