BEIJING: A Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman warned the world not to call it a ”suppression” when Chinese soldiers cracked down on unarmed protesters mainly students gathered in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1989.

June 4 marks 30 years of that incident often referred to as pro-democracy movement since Chinese troops ended several weeks of protests by firing at civilians, killing hundreds if not thousands of people.

As many as 10,000 people were arrested during and after the protests. Several dozen people have been executed for taking parts in the demonstrations.

When asked about the actions taken by People’s Liberation Army against the protesters on that fateful day, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said ‘I don’t agree with the word suppression.’

‘Over the past 30 years, the process of our reform and development and our stability and achievements have already silenced those who question us’.

Pro-democracy protests and demonstrations had started in mid-April following the death of former Communist Party leader Hu Yaobang, who was perceived as a proponent of greater social freedoms in China.The protesters had surrounded a truck carrying People’s Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers on 20 May 1989 in Beijing on their way to Tiananmen Square. The protests continued for next seven weeks at Tiananmen Square — a public space in Beijing. (Agencies)