China to mark centenary of liberal leader Hu Yaobang, the man whose death sparked Tiananmen protests
Official commemorations of the centenary of the birth of late Communist Party chief Hu Yaobang, whose death in 1989 sparked the Tiananmen pro-democracy protests, will take place over the next week, his son said on Monday.
But scholars say the events do not amount to a reversal of the official verdict in 1987 that the liberal leader had made “grave mistakes” of tolerating “bourgeois liberalisation”.
His son, Hu Dehua, said the activities would take place in his father’s hometown in Liuyang, Hunan, next Monday and a formal ceremony was expected to be held in Beijing around November 20, his birthday. He declined to elaborate.
He also refused to say which officials might attend Beijing ceremony and if it would be similar to the 90th anniversary events at the Great Hall of the People in 2005. Those commemorations were attended by then-premier Wen Jiabao and vice-president Zeng Qinghong.
Read more: Son of reformer Hu Yaobang rues lost chance for change, 25 years after his father’s death
Articles on Hu’s legacy have appeared in state media in recent weeks, including one yesterday in China Youth Daily by Hu’s granddaughter, Hu Zhizhi. It also appeared on the party’s news portal. Late last month, party mouthpiece People’s Daily carried an excerpt from his daughter’s book, talking about Hu’s determination to crack down on official corruption.
Liberal political journal Yanhuang Chunqiu also carried a series of articles on Hu’s legacy in the October and November issues.
But scholars say Hu’s reputation has not been rehabilitated. The popular leader, renowned for his liberal and undogmatic style, was purged in 1987 for tolerating “bourgeois liberalisation”. He was also accused of being too lenient with 1986 student protests for democracy and freedoms. When Hu died on April 15, 1989, from a heart attack, hundreds of thousands turned out on the streets to mourn him. The mourning later transformed into the Tiananmen pro-democracy movement. Hu’s name has scarcely been mentioned in state media in the two-and-a-half decades since his death.
Read more: The man who questioned Mao: Hu Yaobang’s colleagues look back
Chen Daoyin, a political scientist at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, said Hu’s reform measures and rehabilitation of millions of people wrongly persecuted in the Cultural Revolution restored people’s faith in the party.
Now, by commemorating him, the authorities wanted to profit from his popularity and good image. “Hu was a political symbol. He played an crucial role in winning people’s hearts and minds.”
Although Hu was credited with freeing China from the strictures of Maoist doctrine, President Xi Jinping’s revival of Maoism runs counter to that spirit, scholars say. Xi’s rule has overseen a tightening of ideology and an escalation of crackdowns on government critics.
Yuan Weishi, retired history professor formerly with Guangzhou’s Zhongshan University, said Hu stood out from other leaders for his respect for citizens’ rights and his opposition to the oppression of intellectuals.
Chen said in the authorities’ eyes, “history is to serve their political needs”. He said the official media was just emphasising Hu’s image as a model party member, but has avoided any mention of his links to the Tiananmen pro-democracy movement.
