Today is a touchy anniversary for China's rulers. Just shut up and move along, people:
China deployed its vast security apparatus on Wednesday to snuff out commemoration of the suppression of pro-democracy protests around Tiananmen Square 25 years ago, flooding the streets with police as censors scrubbed the Internet clean of any mention of the crackdown.
"Suppression," as in the killing of hundreds or perhaps thousands of peaceful protesters by PLA troops on June 4, 1989:
China has never released a death toll for the crackdown, but estimates from human rights groups and witnesses range from several hundred to several thousand.
Troops shot their way into central Beijing after demonstrators had clogged Tiananmen Square in Beijing for about six weeks. There were also protests in many other cities.
Just so we're clear as time passes.
And when things get rough internally, neighbors should check their ammo supply.
Because threats to Communist Party rule of China are a continuum of threats from America to Japan to the Philippines to silent protesters to online commentary critical of the party.
So when a threat on one part of that continuum arises, who knows where China will strike back to defend party rule?
