World : China Threatens Student Protesters

China issued a grim warning today against student unrest, threatening stern punishment for agitators it said were trying to overthrow the Communist Party and plunge the country into chaos.

Students angrily dismissed the allegations, made in a commentary due to appear in the official People’s Daily on Wednesday but broadcast in advance on national television. They insisted that their campaign for democratic freedoms will continue.

The commentary appeared to herald a crackdown and lessen the chances of dialogue between protesters and government, which students say is their key goal.