What's new

Chinese man sets himself on fire in Tiananmen Square

Bl[i]tZ

FULL MEMBER
Joined
Jul 30, 2011
Messages
1,374
Reaction score
0
A Chinese man set himself on fire in Beijing's Tiananmen Square in what is thought to be the first act of self-immolation at the scene of the 1989 pro-democracy protests for more than a decade.

The incident - which happened on October 21 - appeared nowhere in China's censored state media, but was also witnessed by a Daily Telegraph reader who photographed the aftermath as Chinese police rushed to douse the flames using fire extinguishers.

"The man did it right in front of me. He stepped over the low railing in front of the cycle-lane that runs past the picture of Chairman Mao. He was only two or three metres away from me," recalled Alan Brown, a retired RAF Engineer from Somerton, Somerset.

"He said something quickly and a policeman nearby was suddenly agitated, but this chap whipped out his lighter and set himself on fire. Without being melodramatic, he looked straight at me and set himself on fire.

"The policeman initially leapt back and then grabbed a fire extinguisher from his motorbike and put the man out," added Mr Brown, who was holidaying in China with his wife, Pamela.

Despite being witnessed by several hundred other Chinese bystanders there is no record or mention of the incident either in China's heavily censored state media, or on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, where news deemed sensitive or undesirable by the state often leaks out.

However after being shown the photograph, the incident was confirmed on Wednesday by the press department of the Beijing Public Security Bureau (PSB) which is responsible for monitoring and maintaining social order in China.

"At around 11 o'clock on Oct. 21, 2011, [a man surnamed] Wang walked to the spot near Jinshui bridge, and suddenly set his clothes on fire. The policemen at the scene extinguished the fire within ten seconds and sent the man to hospital for treatment," said a faxed statement.

"He has now pulled through. After investigation, Wang (male, 42, resident of Huanggang city, Hubei province) took the extreme action because of discontent over the outcome of a civil litigation in a local court."

The self-immolation of Mr Wang would appear to be the first known incident since January 23 2001 when five people, including a 12-year-old girl, set themselves on fire allegedly in protest at the violent suppression of the Falun Gong spiritual movement.

Two died, including the young girl, and three were left severely disfigured in the incident which remains controversial to this day after the Falun Gong leadership accused the Chinese government of staging the incident to justify its persecution of the movement's members.

While by no means common in China, self-immolation incidents are reported at least once or twice a year, often involving victims of unjust court rulings, land grabs, property disputes with local government or extreme examples of corruption.

Chinese authorities in Tibet have also been dealing with a wave of self-immolations this year, with 11 monks and nuns setting themselves on fire in protest against Chinese rule in the Tibetan region since March.

However, Tiananmen Square, which 22 years after the 1989 killings remains the most politically sensitive location in China, is very heavily policed, thronging with plain clothes officers who are poised to wrap up any attempt at protest at a second's notice.

Mr Brown, 59, said he had been astonished by the speed at which the security forces had stepped in to douse the flames and then erase any trace of the incident.

"There were lots of people taking pictures at the time, so I was surprised not to hear anything about on the news afterwards, so I thought that it should at least come to light.

"After it happened, the street cleaners were working almost straight away.

If anyone had arrived five or ten minutes later they would have seen nothing. By the time we reached the balcony overlooking the square, there was no sign of what had happened. Everything had gone."

Chinese man sets himself on fire in Tiananmen Square - Telegraph
 
. .
I don't understand why Vietnam people thanked this kind of post of someone setting fire on himself. Do Vietnam people like to burn themselves too?

If it were something really happened and caused by a local trial issue, why dragged so much into 89' or Xizang or Weibo?

If you really want Chinese people to believe this, try next time putting it in Chinese.

If you want to be heroes and save lives, go find an extinguisher and go to the Square and standby.

If you don't like China Why just saying it? It's much simple.
 
. .
Everything had gone.Should this incident be kept in minds,I mean some warm hearted foreigners.
 
.
I don't understand why Vietnam people thanked this kind of post of someone setting fire on himself. Do Vietnam people like to burn themselves too?

If it were something really happened and caused by a local trial issue, why dragged so much into 89' or Xizang or Weibo? Why didn't you saying directly "I don't like China." It's much simple.
It show that lots of CHinese are Frustrating with your Govt. now , even Chinese can not stand China govt. any more :woot:

will History back on Tienanmen square soon ??
 
.
haha ,China has 1.6 billion people ,must be some who feel not happy about their lives,the government,food,jobs...many people take their own lives around the world.one person killed himself means the whole country is not happy,haha,so smart
 
.
haha ,China has 1.6 billion people ,must be some who feel not happy about their lives,the government,food,jobs...many people take their own lives around the world.one person killed himself means the whole country is not happy,haha,so smart

Mr Wang is still alive.
 
.
haha ,China has 1.6 billion people ,must be some who feel not happy about their lives,the government,food,jobs...many people take their own lives around the world.one person killed himself means the whole country is not happy,haha,so smart
But if your police don't use tank to stop them, i'm sure it will be millions angry Chinese burn themself in Tienanmen square specially Falun Gong group :woot:
 
.
But if your police don't use tank to stop them, i'm sure it will be millions angry Chinese burn themself in Tienanmen square specially Falun Gong group :woot:

Actually I think the Chinese don't care when these "idiots" burn themselves to death. In fact I think they find it free entertainment.

Hahaha, I'm laughing right now, Every single Chinese I met up today is very patriotic. Don't know who this idiot was.
 
.
Cow..uhr...excuse me..ward. You know what I am saying? Gay style protests don't get you anything you want. You know what I am saying?
Take out something that caused your grief, just don't blow up public places and innocent bystanders. You know what I am saying? The talibans blow themselves up to take our their enemies. You know what I am saying? This Gandhi style stunt don't get your anywhere, you know what I am saying?

Even if your "wish" is fulfilled, once in power, you are more likely having to do similar things, this happens every couple of hundred of years, you know what I am saying? If you happenned to be living within that window of time where no major changes are possible, burning yourself up doesn't serve any purpose. You know what I am saying?

If you must end, light up a firework to say good luck to yourself for afterlife. You know what I am saying?

This is dumb. I offer no condolences to these people. You know what I am saying?
 
. .
Actually I think the Chinese don't care when these "idiots" burn themselves to death. In fact I think they find it free entertainment.

Hahaha, I'm laughing right now, Every single Chinese I met up today is very patriotic. Don't know who this idiot was.
My country have a similar system with CHina , and I feel frutration to my Govt. too even our policy is not so strict like China policy and people happy with a better future when VN making friend with many nations . Just like N.Korea , our leaders try to put their son , their relatives in important positon and it's unfair to all brilliant and hard working people and maybe same situation in CHina too .

I think VNese-Chinese-N.Korean need more freedom and the right to chose who can be the leader, and Chinese-VietNamese-N.Korean will live happily together , we're patriotic, but we don't want to show our loyalty to some one like Kim Jong Un -son of Kim jong il in N.Korea
 
.
tens of people self immolate themselves in China every day..you can imagine who foolish and stupid someone has got to be to burn themselves to painful death..if I was to be ruled by such idiots who believed in self immolation as a form of protest..I did be pretty scared by their low level of intellect...

By the way, my friend on a recent trip to India had a chance to witness Pro-Telagana protest where a person self immolated in same style..It did not make its way to any Indian news outlet..

I am sure, if it happens once..it might be happening a lot more than once...

Soon we are going to have anti-Chinese threads on PDF even about feuds between Mother in Law vs Daughter in Law.

PS: how is the widow burning going on??

well this is like suicide bombing. except suicide bombing caused fear in the enemy but is useless just like burning yo azz

Finally, another member makes a similar analogy..I have been royally cursed by his highness Dalai the Troll for suggesting the same...In any other country, a self-immolater would be seen as a terrorist who disturbs social order..
 
.
tens of people self immolate themselves in China every day..you can imagine who foolish and stupid someone has got to be to burn themselves to painful death..if I was to be ruled by such idiots who believed in self immolation as a form of protest..I did be pretty scared by their low level of intellect...

By the way, my friend on a recent trip to India had a chance to witness Pro-Telagana protest where a person self immolated in same style..It did not make its way to any Indian news outlet..

I am sure, if it happens once..it might be happening a lot more than once...

Soon we are going to have anti-Chinese threads on PDF even about feuds between Mother in Law vs Daughter in Law.

PS: how is the widow burning going on??



Finally, another member makes a similar analogy..I have been royally cursed by his highness Dalai the Troll for suggesting the same...In any other country, a self-immolater would be seen as a terrorist who disturbs social order..

Yea.... your people instead of wear suicide jackets to blown up own people....
 
.

Pakistan Defence Latest Posts

Country Latest Posts

Back
Top Bottom