
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, July 5, 1990                   TAG: 9007050197
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

CHINA'S BANNER

AND NOW, from the people who brought you the Tiananmen massacre, comes - a flag-desecration law! Yes, the People's Republic of China has banned defiling the nation's flag. A law adopted last week by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress makes such a crime punishable by as much as three years in prison.

Perhaps, after all, there are extenuating circumstances. The country's aged leaders felt threatened by calls for liberty from young Chinese a year ago. Students fashioned a small statue similar to America's Goddess of Liberty, demanded democracy and refused to disband their peaceful protest in the capital of Beijing's memorial square. It was too much, so the leaders ordered guns and tanks turned loose on the people, killing hundreds for expressing ideas that lacked official approval.

Determined that no such threat would be mounted again, the regime hunted down protesters who had escaped the massacre; some were only persecuted, while others were dragged before drumhead trials, then shot. To ward off even muted commemorative protests, heavily armed police cordoned off Tiananmen Square on this year's anniversary of the massacre. Other repressive measures have been taken, including harassment of Chinese suspected of even thinking dissident thoughts.

The new flag-desecration law is only icing on the cake. But you can never tell when it might be needed. Yessir, those Chinese are thorough. Maybe we can learn from them. The right kind of lesson, let's devoutly hope.

by CNB