He was a solitary figure on the empty square, clutching two shopping bags in either hand, while a line of Chinese People’s Liberation Army tanks rolled towards him.
But so-called “Tank Man” stood defiantly, swinging one of the bags in one hand almost nonchalantly, as the chaos of the
The photo of the man’s extraordinary courage in the face of tens of tonnes of war machine became a symbol of defiance and one of the most iconic news images of the 20th century.
In what could become probably the most iconic image of the 20th century, ‘Tank Man’ faces off with the PLA in Tiananmen Square. Source: AP/Jeff Widener
'They're going to kill him!'
As the tanks started rolling into the square, was in the balcony of a Beijing hotel, rapidly running out of film.
Luckily when he asked an exchange student to run downstairs and seek a tourist out for some of their film, he found enough to keep shooting.
After reloading his camera, the Associated Press photographer, who had flown in from Bangkok to help cover the growing pro-democracy protests, saw the man approach the line of tanks.
Then Associated Press Southeast Asia photo editor Jeff Widener captured the iconic image. Source: AP
“The exchange student is screaming, ‘They’re going to kill him, they’re going to kill him!’,” Widener told SBS News.
“And I thought so too, and I just waited and waited.”
He took three pictures and was worried he had missed the shot - but the real hassle was going to be getting the film out.
Protesters clash with PLA armoured vehicles during the bloody night three decades ago. Source: Jeff Widener/AP
He gave the roll of film to the student, in the hope of smuggling it past soldiers in the square who were on alert for foreign journalists, and get it to the AP office.
The student packed all the film in his underwear and headed outside.
Chinese troops keep a sharp eye out during the pro-democracy protests in 1989. AP was forced to smuggle their images passed the waiting soldiers. Source: AP
“I’ll never forget looking over the balcony and seeing him nonchalantly walking by about five security guys smoking cigarettes and laughing," he said.
"Little did they know that one of the most embarrassing photographs to their government just walked by them,” Widener, who was nominated for Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of the massacre, added.
‘You are our brother’
Whatever happened to ‘Tank Man’ remains largely a mystery, with some theories that he was murdered in the post-massacre crackdown and others that he survived and is in hiding.
But for Yang Jianli, a survivor of the massacre and now a US-based human rights activist, he is forever in mind.
Dr Yang hopes ‘Tank Man’ is still alive today, and knows exactly what he’d say to him if he were ever found: “Where have you been hiding all these years?”
“You are our brother - we have been searching (for you).”
Police officers stand guard under umbrellas as visitors throng Tiananmen Square on the 30th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests in Beijing. Source: AP
On the 30th anniversary of the massacre, Dr Yang is petitioning the Chinese government to reveal what happened to ‘Tank Man’ in the hope it will
“Tank Man holds the key to the whole truth about the Tiananmen incident, which in turn holds the key to political (dialogue) in China,” he told SBS News.
“To me only the Chinese government knows what happened to him and the Chinese government has the responsibility to be transparent about what they know.”
Students and PLA soldiers clash during the protests in the square. Source: AP
While the enduring image of Tank Man resonates with many outside of China, inside it’s a different story.
Reports abound of ordinary Chinese people being shown the iconic image only to draw blank stares.
Dr Yang acknowledges the suppression of the massacre by the Chinese government - but he isn’t convinced that most people don’t know about Tank Man.
He said people have access to information and can find it where they seek it.
Never forgotten
But Widener, who still counts the shot as one of his finest images, said the Chinese government will never be able to completely suppress the story of Tank Man.
“They are not going to erase it from history - history will always know about this incident,” he said.
“This photograph keeps growing and growing in stature as the years go by and it’s an amazing response when people find out I shot that photo.
The astounding image was splashed across front pages the next day. Source: Supplied
“The Chinese government shot themselves in the foot making him a martyr - he just grows in stature every year because of this constant repression of trying to pretend this event never happened.”
Widener is unsure what he’d say to Tank Man if he ever meets him.
“Except thank you for your brave deed – it’s so amazing what he did.”
This article was originally published for the 30th anniversary in 2019.
