100 Military Leaders Sign Letter Opposing Premier : Standoff Continues in Beijing

In a blow to Premier Li Peng, more than 100 top military officers signed a letter today opposing his declaration of martial law in Beijing, saying the army “will never shoot the people,” sources said.

The letter also said the army will not enter the city or “suppress” the hundreds of thousands of people who have taken to the streets.

There were reports that Chinese soldiers clashed with pro-democracy demonstrators in the suburbs today, but they apparently failed to break through blockades set up to keep them out of central Beijing.

Witnesses said soldiers hit people with sticks and belts, but did not open fire, in a clash that occurred about 15 miles southwest of Tian An Men Square, where 45,000 students spent the night.

The witness said some soldiers, who were armed with Chinese-made AK-47 semiautomatic rifles, pushed through throngs of residents trying to block their way but that military vehicles did not advance. One report said 15 residents were injured in the clash.

Protesting students and their supporters continued to defy martial law by gathering in the streets and, in the case of the students, remaining in Tian An Men Square.

Army personnel trucks remained parked at various places on the western outskirts of the capital, but the mood among the soldiers and the crowds surrounding them was generally relaxed.

Beijing citizens filled the streets by the thousands before dawn, setting up roadblocks to protect the students from the army.

Pressing for Resignations

The students began leading the protests April 15 to demand talks with the government on bringing democratic reforms and ending official profiteering. But now the students--bolstered by the widespread support their movement has won from the populace--are pressing for the resignations of Li and senior leader Deng Xiaoping.

The latest developments are a severe setback for Li, who has failed to end the protests despite declaring martial law Saturday for parts of Beijing. Under martial law, public demonstrations are banned.

The letter from military leaders, which was sent to the People’s Daily, the mouthpiece of the ruling Communist Party, was a further blow to his grip on power. The letter was not immediately published by the official media.

Seven well-known military figures, including former Defense Minister Zhang Aiping and former People’s Liberation Army Chief of Staff Yang Dezhi, wrote the letter, a source at the People’s Daily said.

“As old soldiers we have the following demands,” the letter said. “The People’s Liberation Army belongs to the people. It cannot confront the people, even more so it cannot suppress the people and it will never shoot the people.

“To keep the situation from worsening, the army cannot enter the city,” it said.

The letter was signed by 100 other officers, said another source.

Li’s inability to enforce martial law is indicative of an intense power struggle.

Some diplomats said Communist Party General Secretary Zhao Ziyang, who has not been seen in public since Friday, was seeking to reassert his authority over Li and end military rule in Beijing. “Zhao is back in the saddle,” one envoy said.