The official Radio Television Hong Kong reports that Xu Qinxian, then commander of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), who refused to carry out orders from the authorities during the June 4 incident in 1989, died in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, in the morning at the age of 85. June 4 student leader Wang Dan posted a tribute in the evening, saying the students would never forget him.
According to reports, Xu Qinxian suffered from severe eye disease and mobility problems, and was bedridden in a hospital in Shijiazhuang in recent years. Mr. Xu Qin’s former friends and former ministers learned of his death one after another in the afternoon.
Wang Dan retweeted the news of Mr. Xu’s death on the social networking site Facebook at around 8 p.m. Taipei time tonight, revealing that Mr. Xu died in the morning after choking on food during a meal and failing to be rescued.
Wang Dan also wrote: “General Hsu gave up his official position and freedom for the sake of his conscience, something that we, the students back then, will never forget. Rest in peace Mr. Xu!”
According to the report, after the Chinese Communist authorities issued martial law on May 20, 1989, the citizens of Beijing blocked the troops from advancing and only two groups of PLA were able to reach Tiananmen Square, and the 38th Army led by Xu Qinxian refused to carry out the mission upon arrival.
He refused to carry out the order and was taken away after returning to the hospital. He was eventually expelled from the Party and served five years in Qincheng prison.
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