h mass protest.5
On May 20, Chinese Premier Li Peng declared martial law and sent troops into Beijing the square, ostensibly to protect
3 See Robert Delfs, "Tianamen Massacre," Far Eastern Economic Review (15 June 1989): 10 13.
5 See Simon Leys, "When the 'dummies' talk back," Far Eastern Economic Review (15 June 1989): 14 15.
the city from anarchy. Instead of reacting violently, the protesters calmly sat in front of the advancing armored vehicles, offered food and drink to the soldiers, and tried to show that their movement was peaceful and the people were in solidarity with the military.6
By the first week of June, however, the situation was becoming critical. Chinese leaders were panicked at the idea of democratic protests, and uncomfortable that the media was making Tianamen square into an international event. In the same light, they felt their power eroding, and look
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