Carnegie Mellon University People Republic of China Constitution Discussion

Hello, this is a very similar question, or basically the same as last time. The “second” document is attached! Thank you

This week we will finish the case study on Chinese democracy by examining the mass protests in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1989 and their violent suppression. Around that time, the Soviet Union and communist regimes in Eastern Europe were adopting liberal and democratic reforms under popular pressure. In Tiananmen Square in central Beijing, throngs of university students, workers, and citizens gathered in spring 1989 to protest corruption and demand the freedoms and democratic representation guaranteed in the PRC’s constitution. In late May, the regime proclaimed martial law and surrounded the square with troops, but the crowd refused to leave. On the night of June 3–4, soldiers of the People’s Liberation Army forced their way into the square, killing a number of protesters in the process.

This week’s reading comprises two parts. The first is the PRC constitution (Links to an external site.). Please read “Chapter I General Principles” and “Chapter II The Fundamental Rights and Duties of Citizens.” The second contains documents on the protesters’ demands and outlooks.

According to the PRC’s constitution, what rights and responsibilities do citizens have? What are they not allowed to do? What did the Tiananmen protesters want? Why were they dissatisfied with the PRC’s policies?

Citation information:
The Constitution of the People’s Republic of China.
Suzanne Ogden et al., China’s Search for Democracy: The Student and the Mass Movement of 1989 (Armonk, NY: M. E. Sharpe, 1992).