Telegram from Romanian Embassy in Beijing to Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 03:00 am

04 June 1989, 03:00 am


Foreign Minister, Cde. Ioan Totu,
Eyes only (personal)

Another attempt to reach downtown [Beijing] by trucks carrying PLA troops failed last night (3 June). Even though this time the military forces came in greater numbers, the city's population, present in force on the city's boulevards stopped, once again, their advance.

The reaction of the population [to the events] was extremely active. As night was falling (from 8 pm to 12 midnight) on the major boulevards and in Tiananmen Square over 1 million people gathered.

Appeals were read over loudspeakers [asking] the population not to be intimidated and to show its solidarity against the government and against those in the [CCP] leadership which declared and are applying martial law. During the [army's] attempts to reach Tiananmen overnight, some [demonstrators] were killed when transports run over people. The population threw bricks at the soldiers, some of whom were wounded. During the night, the population in Tiananmen assaulted the building of the National Assembly. [They] broke windows and posted flyers. [They] put forth anti-government statements and threats towards the [members of the] leadership imposing the martial law.

The situation turned explosive, especially since the convoys of military personnel were sent towards the city's center in an inopportune moment (Saturday afternoon), a time when there was a maximum concentration of population, especially on the principal boulevards and in Tiananmen Square. The failure of this new attempt has only enraged the population, the students and their supporters. It can be said that, in only a few hours, from a situation that was slowly evolving towards a peaceful resolution and the re-establishment of order, an extremely confrontational situation evolved. It is true that this [evolution] happened without officially recognizing the demands of the students, [the government] betting that eventually they will exhaust themselves and [the popularity of] the movement will erode.

We will continue to inform on the evolution of events.

(ss) [Ambassador] Angelo Miculescu