Zhao Ziyang's thread (suicide, cult, Article, Zen)

[robtex]

I just read on cnn that Zhao Ziyang died under house arrest today.
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/asiapc...hao/index.html

Ziyang was a member of the communist party of China and had a promising career ahead of him. Than in 1989 right before the Tiananmen square massacre ZZ risked his life by going into the crowed groups of students and pleaded for them to dispurse. He risked his life to protect theirs. He was placed under house arrest for his actions and died under house arrest today at the age of 85. Here is to an courageous humanitarian.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhao_Ziyang

[robtex]

What!! no love for ZZ?

[anders]

Ahh, the impatience of youth! Being a quarter of a century older than you, and studying Chinese, and interested in new and old happenings in East Asia, I 1) just found this thread, 2) can't make any well thought over comments yet. My immediate impression, however, after reading of his demise in the Swedish morning papers the other day, is that he at least hadn't deserved the detention.

It should, however, be mentioned that most lives were not lost in the square, but in adjacent streets. In the article Tian'anmen suicide masterminds repent on http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/, suiciders are said to have been members of the Falun Gong cult. Be that as it may, it would have been a grand opportunity for this Buddhist-inspired (though certainly not Buddhist!) cult to get attention, but in all probability, some victims must have been just concerned citizens.

[Ardhanariswar]

argh. it makes me so mad.