TURMOIL IN CHINA : Premier Li’s Speech: ‘Reforms Facing Threat’

Here are excerpts, translated by the official New China News Agency, from a speech by Premier Li Peng about the student demonstrations:

The capital is in a critical situation. The anarchic state is going from bad to worse, and law and discipline are being violated.

More and more students and other people were involved in demonstrations and many colleges and universities had come to a standstill. Traffic jams took place everywhere, the party and government offices were affected and public security was deteriorating.

Some activities on the agenda of the Sino-Soviet summit that attracted worldwide attention had to be canceled, greatly damaging China’s international image and prestige.

Actually, a handful of persons are using the hunger strikers as “hostages” to coerce and force the party and the government to yield to their political demands. In this regard, they have no iota of humanism. The party and the government have on one hand taken every possible measure to treat and rescue the fasting students. On the other hand, they have held several dialogues with representatives of the fasting students and have earnestly promised to continue to listen to their opinions in the future.

The situation in Beijing is still worsening, and has already affected many other cities in the country. In places, the number of demonstrators and protesters is increasing. In some places, there have occurred many incidents in which people broke into local party and government organs, along with beating, smashing, looting, burnings and other undermining activities that seriously violated the law.

All these have shown that this will lead to a nationwide turmoil if no quick action is taken to turn and stabilize the situation. The nation’s reforms and opening to the outside world, and the fate and future of the People’s Republic are facing serious threat.

The party and government have pointed out time and again that the students are kind-hearted and they do not want to create turmoil. Instead, these patriotic students hope to promote democracy and overcome corruption, and this is in line with the goals the party and government have strived to achieve.

Now it has become more and more clear that the very few people who attempt to create turmoil want to reach their political goals--negating the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the socialist system and violating the democratic and legal channels. They spread rumors and smear and hurt party and government leaders. They concentrate their attack on Comrade Deng Xiaoping, who has made great contributions to China’s opening to the outside world. . . . Their purpose is to overthrow the people’s government elected by the National People’s Congress and totally negate the people’s democratic dictatorship.

Under such circumstances we are forced to take resolute and decisive measures to put an end to the turmoil.

I urgently appeal on behalf of the party Central Committee and the State Council:

To those students now on hunger strike in Tian An Men Square to end the fasting immediately, leave the square, receive medical treatment and recover their health as soon as possible.

To students and people in all walks of life to immediately stop all demonstrations and give no more so-called support to the fasting students in the interest of humanitarianism. Whatever the intent, further “support” will push the fasting students to desperation.

I now call on the whole party, the whole army and the whole nation to make concerted efforts and act immediately at all posts so as to stop the turmoil and stabilize the situation.

Comrades, our party is a party in power and our government, a people’s government. To be responsible to our sacred motherland and to the entire Chinese people, we must adopt firm and resolute measures to end the turmoil swiftly, maintain the leadership of the party as well as the socialist system.

We also hope the people in the capital will fully support the People’s Liberation Army, police and armed police in their efforts to maintain order in the capital.