this photograph of tank man is one of
the most famous images of 20th century
it was taken during the 1989 Tiananmen
Massacre but who was the tank man no one
knows for nearly 30 years
people have wondered what became of him
but his identity and his fate
are still mystery this mystery lingers
primarily because the rulers of China
have made every effort to suppress the
truth about what happened at the
Tiananmen people in China today who face
who dare to remember face brutal
persecution just after the massacre the
Chinese government tried to use this
photo as evidence that the military
responds to the student the
demonstrators have been restrained the
authorities priests the military actions
in called the demonstrators Fox but the
world was not food part of the immediate
power of this image was not just that it
should one man standing vulnerable in
front of a column tanks but also that
the whole world knew about events that
had preceded this moment the tank man
had so far survived a massacre and yet
here he was still risking his life I was
a student protester in Tiananmen Square
when the massacre began late on the
night of June 3rd
at one point my friends and I were so
close to the shoulders that we could
shut up to them in their trucks and tell
them not to shoot we told them that they
had no idea what was going on here and
we tried to touch their hearts by seeing
the songs that every Chinese would know
but when they received the order they
just opened the fire
I witnessed the many people killed
including the 11 student who were chased
and ran over by tanks the tankmen photo
was taken the next day on June 5th
while the massacre was still going not
by any measure this picture is an image
of heroism but how many heroes do we see
here nearly nine years after the photo
was taken the writer Pecola said the
heroes of tank picture are to the
unknown figure who risked his life by
standing in front of the juggernaut and
the tank driver who rose to the moral
challenge by refusing to mow down his
compatriot not only did the tank driver
refused to kill he undoubtedly
undoubtedly disobeyed orders in risk and
perhaps received a punishment in the
service of his country man’s life he is
an equal hero I call him tankmen –
victimized by the same evil force these
two heroic tank men remind us that those
who stand up setters are not necessarily
our
enemies common sense conscience
inhumanity can prevail even under brutal
circumstances I unfortunately lost the
sight of the truth during a very extreme
moment after watching troops kill people
on the early morning of June 4th I saw a
young soldier on chang’an avenue near
Tammy Square standing all by himself he
was not wearing a helmet he didn’t have
again he looked just like a teenager the
people I was with who was sad and angry
chased him because he was a shoulder I
gave him a punch and more more people
gathered around him and beat him when
the crowd knocked him to the ground
he yelled I didn’t do it I didn’t shoot
I realized the tragedy was taking place
but it was too late to stop the violence
I left the scene without looking back a
few minutes later I knew from the loud
shouts behind me he had been killed and
I began to cry like all other shooters
that ninja had been forced to come to
Beijing to Massacre protesting student
and civilians like us he was powerless
if stops the tragedy after conscience he
had probably refused to kill choosing
instead to be deserter if so he was
another tank man in the opposite camp he
is real hero but I was not
I let anger get the better of me I have
a scene my fellow student crushed
beneath tanks I had seen people whose
only crime was calling for a democratic
future shot in a killed just three feet
away from me so when I saw him I saw him
only as my enemy and I punched him this
might be the biggest thing of my life I
cannot imagine the pain he suffered when
he was dying or what was on his mind
when he was being killed by his angry
and frightened countrymen for nearly 30
years I have been warning him I think
about his family and I still look to a
day when I find them and share my guilt
the Chairman tank man taught me a lot
heroic feats often happen in moments
that go unnoticed in June of 1989 the
streets of Beijing witnessed the many
Chinese like the tank man standing face
to face with soldiers that are healing
in Arnold Street there was also some
shooters like the second tank man
and like the deserter who opposed the
orders to kill remembering this I’m
convinced that no matter how difficult
the road had us the direction of China’s
future must be towards democracy the
natural human desire for dignity and
freedom that served the foundation of
all democratic movements are not only
present in us the freedom fighters in
every heart there is goodness that is
where our hope comes from and so those
who stand who happen to be in our
enemy’s camp are not necessarily our
enemies we must overcome the existing
enemy mentality that poisons our spirits
insides premortal struggles destroys our
tolerance and humanity and hinders our
progress to a better society opposite us
there are always those who will reveal
to between their consciences any police
or military officer indeed anyone in the
authority restate machinery can be a
hero if they are willing to raise their
hands just a young high when ordered to
carry a act of separation their names
may be unknown but they like the two
tank men and like the teenagers shoulder
will be heroes of the history historical
process I started by saying we still
don’t know who
the tank man is Oh what happened to him
the same is true of the second tank man
and I don’t think we should ever stop
looking for any of them because there
are always tank men all around us and if
we know this perhaps we might find it
easier when the times calls for it to
aspire to what is passing us to look to
our reserves of courage and compassion
and to try to be tank men ourselves
thank you [Applause]
the most famous images of 20th century
it was taken during the 1989 Tiananmen
Massacre but who was the tank man no one
knows for nearly 30 years
people have wondered what became of him
but his identity and his fate
are still mystery this mystery lingers
primarily because the rulers of China
have made every effort to suppress the
truth about what happened at the
Tiananmen people in China today who face
who dare to remember face brutal
persecution just after the massacre the
Chinese government tried to use this
photo as evidence that the military
responds to the student the
demonstrators have been restrained the
authorities priests the military actions
in called the demonstrators Fox but the
world was not food part of the immediate
power of this image was not just that it
should one man standing vulnerable in
front of a column tanks but also that
the whole world knew about events that
had preceded this moment the tank man
had so far survived a massacre and yet
here he was still risking his life I was
a student protester in Tiananmen Square
when the massacre began late on the
night of June 3rd
at one point my friends and I were so
close to the shoulders that we could
shut up to them in their trucks and tell
them not to shoot we told them that they
had no idea what was going on here and
we tried to touch their hearts by seeing
the songs that every Chinese would know
but when they received the order they
just opened the fire
I witnessed the many people killed
including the 11 student who were chased
and ran over by tanks the tankmen photo
was taken the next day on June 5th
while the massacre was still going not
by any measure this picture is an image
of heroism but how many heroes do we see
here nearly nine years after the photo
was taken the writer Pecola said the
heroes of tank picture are to the
unknown figure who risked his life by
standing in front of the juggernaut and
the tank driver who rose to the moral
challenge by refusing to mow down his
compatriot not only did the tank driver
refused to kill he undoubtedly
undoubtedly disobeyed orders in risk and
perhaps received a punishment in the
service of his country man’s life he is
an equal hero I call him tankmen –
victimized by the same evil force these
two heroic tank men remind us that those
who stand up setters are not necessarily
our
enemies common sense conscience
inhumanity can prevail even under brutal
circumstances I unfortunately lost the
sight of the truth during a very extreme
moment after watching troops kill people
on the early morning of June 4th I saw a
young soldier on chang’an avenue near
Tammy Square standing all by himself he
was not wearing a helmet he didn’t have
again he looked just like a teenager the
people I was with who was sad and angry
chased him because he was a shoulder I
gave him a punch and more more people
gathered around him and beat him when
the crowd knocked him to the ground
he yelled I didn’t do it I didn’t shoot
I realized the tragedy was taking place
but it was too late to stop the violence
I left the scene without looking back a
few minutes later I knew from the loud
shouts behind me he had been killed and
I began to cry like all other shooters
that ninja had been forced to come to
Beijing to Massacre protesting student
and civilians like us he was powerless
if stops the tragedy after conscience he
had probably refused to kill choosing
instead to be deserter if so he was
another tank man in the opposite camp he
is real hero but I was not
I let anger get the better of me I have
a scene my fellow student crushed
beneath tanks I had seen people whose
only crime was calling for a democratic
future shot in a killed just three feet
away from me so when I saw him I saw him
only as my enemy and I punched him this
might be the biggest thing of my life I
cannot imagine the pain he suffered when
he was dying or what was on his mind
when he was being killed by his angry
and frightened countrymen for nearly 30
years I have been warning him I think
about his family and I still look to a
day when I find them and share my guilt
the Chairman tank man taught me a lot
heroic feats often happen in moments
that go unnoticed in June of 1989 the
streets of Beijing witnessed the many
Chinese like the tank man standing face
to face with soldiers that are healing
in Arnold Street there was also some
shooters like the second tank man
and like the deserter who opposed the
orders to kill remembering this I’m
convinced that no matter how difficult
the road had us the direction of China’s
future must be towards democracy the
natural human desire for dignity and
freedom that served the foundation of
all democratic movements are not only
present in us the freedom fighters in
every heart there is goodness that is
where our hope comes from and so those
who stand who happen to be in our
enemy’s camp are not necessarily our
enemies we must overcome the existing
enemy mentality that poisons our spirits
insides premortal struggles destroys our
tolerance and humanity and hinders our
progress to a better society opposite us
there are always those who will reveal
to between their consciences any police
or military officer indeed anyone in the
authority restate machinery can be a
hero if they are willing to raise their
hands just a young high when ordered to
carry a act of separation their names
may be unknown but they like the two
tank men and like the teenagers shoulder
will be heroes of the history historical
process I started by saying we still
don’t know who
the tank man is Oh what happened to him
the same is true of the second tank man
and I don’t think we should ever stop
looking for any of them because there
are always tank men all around us and if
we know this perhaps we might find it
easier when the times calls for it to
aspire to what is passing us to look to
our reserves of courage and compassion
and to try to be tank men ourselves
thank you [Applause]
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