With the Sino-Soviet Summit approaching and with the help of the local worker’s unions, the Beijing protesters reached one million supporters by 18 May 1989.[1] Over 1000 men from the People’s Liberation Army’s General Logistics Department showed their support for the movement by appearing on Chang'an Avenue and marching toward Tiananmen Square, all the while receiving enthusiastic applause from onlookers.[2] Under pressure to quickly end the protests and unwilling to give in to students’ shifting demands, CCP leaders decided to mobilize the People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Martial law was declared on 20 May 1989, and troops of the 38th Army were scheduled to enter Beijing to maintain order. However, due to the number of protesters blocking the entrance into the city, the soldiers were held in a standstill surrounded by protesters. During this ordeal, troops and protesters sang traditional Maoist songs together.[3] After four days, the PLA troops withdrew from Beijing on 24 May 1989.[4]
The Beijing military region includes Hebei Province, and includes Beijing, and Tianjin. Four Army Units form the Beijing military region: 28th, 38th, 63rd, and the 65th. The 38th Army is stationed near Beijing and therefore has a closer connection to the people of Beijing. Many students had also served in the unit before attending university and some students trained with the 38th in the summers as members of the army reserve.[5] During the initial days when martial law was declared, the 38th Army, under General Xu Qinxian, openly refused to use force against student protestors.[6]
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The failed attempt to control the growing protesters in Beijing forced Chinese officials to call in additional PLA units from other military regions. An estimate of 100,000 to 150,000 troops were deployed in and around Beijing by early June.[6] The 16th, 64th, 39th, and 27th Armies were brought in from the Shenyang region and the 12th was transferred in from Nanjing.[6] PLA soldiers underwent re-education training prior to June 1989, in order to instill and reinforce the CCP’s views and beliefs that “[The student protest] is turmoil; martial law is necessary.”[7] On top of being thrown into a situation that the soldiers did not fully understand, the military units from other regions spoke a different northern dialect than the Beijing citizens, adding to the confusion.[8] This language barrier would limit curious soldiers in finding information on the student movement other than what they have been told by their chain of command.
The 27th Army, under the command of President Yang Shangkun’s nephew, Yang Jianhua, was tasked with relieving the 38th unit in taking Beijing and securing Tiananmen Square. According to Beijing citizens, the 27th were deemed to be the most brutal during the Tiananmen repression of June 4.[9] The troops of the 27th Army were heavily equipped and seen by citizens as “illiterate ‘primitives’ who know only how to kill”[10] because most of the troops came from the northern Shaanxi Province. Often seen as having direct control over the 27th Army,[9] President Yang Shangkun reinforced the belief that it was up to the 27th to suppress the “counterrevolution” in Beijing.[10] Some soldiers had also allegedly been drugged with stimulants and been issued altered ammunition to increase injuries.[1] There were reports of violent shootings of unarmed civilians in the back “without warning”[11] and even reports of the 27th coercing other army troops to kill student protesters.[12] The Washington Post wrote how “The 27th Army [was] widely hated in Beijing.”[10]
Following the June 4 “crackdown” there were many reports of standoffs between army units.[10] For instance, the 16th Army was also tasked to relieve the 38th and repress the protesters, however, it wanted to do so with minimal force. The 27th, ignoring the 16th‘s plea, continued on violently towards Tiananmen Square.[13] On June 6, 1989, United States officials confirmed reports involving shootings between the 16th and the 27th armies on the outskirts of Beijing.[5] Another unit that rallied against the 27th was the 40th, which established good relations with the civilians along their cordoned area around the airport road. The civilians exchanged food and supplies and offered moral support to the 40th.[10] Although many opposed the undisciplined 27th Army, none was as prominent as the 38th.[14] Initially reluctant to obey orders to enter the city, the 38th was replaced by the 27th. However, after June 6th the 38th was sent back into Beijing to relieve the 27th from their occupied posts. The hatred between the two units never resulted in more than the reported occasional exchange of fire.[14] Because the 38th never killed any civilians, some residents of Beijing welcomed back their beloved troops and regard “The 38th Army [as] the people’s army!”[10]
During the Tiananmen repression an estimated 3,500 PLA officers disobeyed orders,[15] resulting in scores of army officers being executed and several generals facing court martial[16], including 38th Army General Xu Qinxian. As a result of this mass mutiny, the military leadership reshuffled commanders throughout all seven military regions in 1990 down to the division level to ensure loyalty.[15] There has not been a display of blatant insubordination since the Tiananmen Protests in 1989.