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On 4th June 1989, many of my fellow students at Beijing University had already left the campus to join the thousands of peaceful protestors who had been gathering for several weeks in Tiananmen Square. Messengers on bicycles and students with loudhailers kept those of us still on the campus up to date with what was happening. We were young, naive, and fighting for democracy and a better China. When we heard that tanks had rolled down the Boulevard of Eternal Peace, crushing a freedom movement that was only seven weeks old, we were traumatised. When the soldiers opened fire, killing hundreds of students, our main concern was to track down friends who had joined the protest.
In the weeks afterwards Beijing was a dangerous place. Martial law was introduced and the borders were closed. Fearful of arrest, I fled to the countryside. Fortunately, I already had a scholarship to study abroad and was given permission to leave. On 2nd August I left for the US to build a new life outside China.
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