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"A strong signal to China": Model of the "Pillar of Shame," a memorial to the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, was unveiled outside the European Parliament in Brussels (edition.cnn.com)

submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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Depicting a heap of contorted bodies and screaming faces, the statue was unveiled Tuesday as part of an exhibition of “forbidden art” that organizers said had been censored or “deemed subversive” by Hong Kong and mainland China.

The exhibition was hosted by Jens Galschiøt, the Danish artist behind the famous sculpture, and Kira Marie Peter-Hansen, a member of the European Parliament (MEP). A further six MEPs, including representatives from each of the parliament’s five largest political coalitions, were listed as co-hosts.

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 7 months ago (1 children)

The difference is the other countries doesn't try to bury their dark past and lied about it to their own citizens, all while acting like the government is their savior.

[–] Hamartia -3 points 7 months ago (1 children)

In Northern Ireland, during the troubles, 28 unarmed civil rights protestors were shot (14 killed) on Bloody Sunday, by the British army. They covered it up then, lying that the soldiers had been shot at and that some of the protestors were armed. That was back in 1972. None of those soldiers faced any charges until 2016. And to this day none have been prosecuted. Similarly there has been no charges levied on anyone that put those soldiers there that day. Even though that same battalion was guilty of killing 11 civilians in the Ballymurphy massacre just seven months beforehand and of brutalizing protestors outside of Magillian Internment camp a week beforehand.

Over 50 years later and there are still British MPs that fight bitterly against any British soldiers facing any prosecution for crimes they committed in Northern Ireland against British Citizens.

The Tienanmen square massacre was way worse, no doubt. But don't fool yourself into thinking that any country, especially those that colonized large swaths of the planet, have a clear conscience.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 7 months ago (1 children)

@Hamartia

No one claims that democracy is perfect (or will ever be). But another major reason why it is superior to dictatorship is that, for example, you are free to report these crimes and express your opinion as you just did in your post, without any negative personal consequences for you nor your family, and your post won't be censored.

If you write a post in China in memory of the Tiananmen Square massacre, what do you think would happen?

[–] Hamartia 0 points 7 months ago

Bad things no doubt. But then I didn't contest China's characterization.