The significance of historical events usually fades with time but the current hostility between Beijing and the West has given a dangerous new edge to the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.
As the Herald has reported in the past few days, it was 30 years ago on Tuesday that the Chinese Communist Party called People's Liberation Army tanks on to the streets of the national capital and dispersed crowds of pro-democracy protesters and students with reckless, senseless brutality, killing several thousand.
The Chinese government has suppressed all mention of the events of June 4, 1989 inside China and indeed it is likely to act with the same evil purpose if any dissidents are brave enough to say what needs to be said today. Protesters in the democratic haven of Hong Kong will hold their usual candlelight vigil to mark the day but border officials have blocked a former student leader flying from the US to join the protest. On the mainland, anyone who proclaims the truth that Chinese soldiers fired on their own unarmed citizens faces jail or worse.
