Fact Check: La Masacre de Tainmenn de 1989 no ocurrió y es un invento de Occidente según los documentos previstos por Wikileaks.

Fact Check: "La Masacre de Tainmenn de 1989 no ocurrió y es un invento de Occidente según los documentos previstos por Wikileaks."

What We Know

The claim that the Tiananmen Square massacre did not occur and is a fabrication of Western narratives is contradicted by a substantial body of evidence. The Tiananmen Square protests, which took place from April 15 to June 4, 1989, were student-led demonstrations that culminated in a violent crackdown by the Chinese government. The Chinese military was deployed to suppress the protests, resulting in numerous casualties among demonstrators and soldiers alike. According to the National Security Archive, declassified documents reveal that U.S. embassy officials quickly recognized that a massacre had occurred, ordered by high-ranking officials who feared dissent could threaten the Communist Party's rule. The Chinese government's ongoing efforts to suppress discussions about the events further corroborate the historical significance of the massacre.

Moreover, the Wikipedia entry on the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre outlines the timeline and context of the events, emphasizing that the protests were driven by widespread discontent over issues such as inflation, corruption, and a lack of political freedoms. The protests attracted up to a million participants at their peak, and the government's violent response is well-documented.

Analysis

The assertion that the Tiananmen Square massacre is a Western invention lacks credible support. The Wikipedia article and the National Security Archive's documentation provide a robust historical account that is consistent with eyewitness testimonies and reports from various international media outlets at the time. The claim appears to stem from a misinterpretation of certain documents, including those from WikiLeaks, which have been cited to suggest that there was no bloodshed in Tiananmen Square. However, this interpretation is misleading and does not reflect the consensus of historical scholarship or the overwhelming evidence of the events that transpired.

Furthermore, the DW fact-check clarifies that while some documents may downplay the violence, the broader historical context and the multitude of eyewitness accounts affirm that a massacre occurred. The reliability of sources like the National Security Archive, which compiles declassified government documents, is high, as they are based on official records rather than speculative narratives.

The claim's credibility is further undermined by the Chinese government's long-standing policy of suppressing information about the Tiananmen Square events, which raises questions about the motivations behind any narratives that seek to deny or downplay the massacre.

Conclusion

Verdict: False
The assertion that the Tiananmen Square massacre did not occur and is a Western fabrication is not supported by credible evidence. Historical documentation, eyewitness accounts, and the acknowledgment of the events by reputable sources all confirm that a significant and tragic massacre took place in June 1989. The claim appears to be an attempt to distort historical facts, likely influenced by the Chinese government's efforts to suppress discussion about the incident.