China [CHN5089]

Very little information is available on demonstrations in the Fujian province during April, May and June 1989, since most foreign correspondents were posted in Beijing. An article from The New York Times dated 23 May 1989, however, indicates without specification that demonstrations were held in Fujian during the spring [ Robert Pear, "Upheaval in China; Radio Broadcasts Report Pro-Student Demonstrations Breaking Out All Over China", The New York Times, 23 May 1989, p.A14.]. Details are available only for a demonstration held on 18 May 1989, but the event was reported to be a continuation of prior demonstrations, and may well have been the most active day of a longer period of unrest having brought people to the street for several consecutive days [ "Fujian Journalists Support 18th May Student Demonstration", Fujian Provincial Service (Fuzhou, 18 May 1989 at 1000 Greenwich Mean Time), reported by the British Broadcasting Corporation Monitoring Service, Summary of World Broadcasts FE/0464/B2/1, 23 May 1989.]. According to the source, the government-controlled Fujian Provincial Service radio station, nearly 20,000 people demonstrated to support Beijing University hunger-strikers [ Ibid.].

The official source did not acknowledge army killings, but reported that "a few students and armed police were injured" [ Ibid.]. As a result of the 18 May demonstration, it was decided that the provincial government and the students would meet on 19 May 1989 [ Ibid.]. Later in the month, army units stationed in the Fujian province stated that they firmly supported the Party Central Committee and State Council's severe measures against student unrest [ BBC Monitoring Service, "More Military Support for Li Peng", Summary of World Broadcasts FE/0467/i, 26 May 1989.].