To crush the spirit and body of youth — Stephen Mills on Bob Hawke's Tienanmen Square commemoration speech, 1989

Speakola

Bob Hawke was the 23rd prime minister of Australia and the most electorally successful Labor politician in Australian history. He delivered a speech on 9th June 1989, five days after the tanks and 27th Army rolled into Tienanmen Square and massacred students gathered there.

Hawke delivered this speech in the Great Hall of Parliament House in Canberra, which was largely written by speechwriter Stephen Mills who is our guest for this episode.

In the middle of the prepared remarks, Hawke also read from a diplomatic cable that contained graphic descriptions of what went on in the Square. He wept as he read from the cable, and it became one of the iconic moments of his prime ministership.

It's recently been revealed in an ABC podcast, China if You're Listening, hosted by Matt Bevan that the contents of the cable was not accurate in terms of the scale of atrocities or the number of deaths in the square.

Listen to full episode of China if You're Listening with Matt Bevan.

Listen and watch 730 Report story about the diplomatic cable.

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Tony's books are available at https://www.tonywilsonauthor.com/

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