China Hikes Civilian Toll in Beijing Assault

BEIJING —  As China’s embattled Communist Party tried to put on its best face for its 68th anniversary today, the Beijing leadership conceded Friday that there had been more civilian casualties than it first admitted in the bloody June 3-4 crackdown on the pro-democracy movement. At the same time, the moderate party chief who broke ranks to support that movement was stripped of his last government post.

In a move one diplomat described as “tidying up,” the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the country’s nominal legislature, removed former party leader Zhao Ziyang from the largely ceremonial post of vice chairman of the government’s Central Military Commission.

Zhao, who has not been seen in public for more than a month, was officially purged last Saturday from the party leadership by the party Central Committee at the direction of paramount leader Deng Xiaoping, who also requested the action taken Friday against Zhao.

During Friday’s meeting of the NPC Standing Committee, at a special session that originally had been called last month to discuss the very appeals for democracy that the Chinese army crushed almost four weeks ago, Beijing Mayor Chen Xitong also revised the details of the toll, raising the government’s count of civilian fatalities.

Over 200 Civilians Killed

Chen conceded that more than 200 civilians had been killed by soldiers during the crackdown in Beijing. Several days after the massacre, the government indicated that a total of only about 300 people had died, half of them military, and later reported a total death toll of 200, half of them military.

Although his figures did not change the government’s initial count of the total fatalities--which most Western diplomats, military experts and journalists who witnessed the carnage estimate to be at least 1,000--the mayor did break out for the first time the number of civilians injured--3,000--adding that 6,000 soldiers and police also had been wounded.

In what several analysts said was a symbolic victory for the students in the face of the party’s massive propaganda campaign to convince the world that no massacre took place, Chen also increased the student death toll to 36 from an original figure of 23, and decreased the army dead to “dozens” from about 100 to 150.

In all, he said, Beijing suffered $350 million in property damage during the military operation, including 1,280 vehicles damaged or burned.

He added that “a number of weapons and ammunition were stolen” from the security forces.

Meanwhile, the security forces today reopened the gate tower of Tian An Men Square--the students’ rallying point for their movement--for the first time since the brutal June 3-4 crackdown.

It was the last remaining building on the square to be reopened, and the move clearly was timed to coincide with today’s party anniversary. But the actual entrance through the gate tower, the Gate of Heavenly Peace, remains closed to the public.

Appearing during the session on state television Friday night, Chen criticized Zhao personally for his support of the student demonstrators.

“Zhao Ziyang shirked his responsibilities and supported the turmoil,” he declared, echoing the policy laid down by Deng and the new six-member Standing Committee of the party’s Politburo after last weekend’s purge.

Most analysts here said the action taken Friday against Zhao was a mere footnote after the party’s communique six days ago that announced Zhao had “made serious mistakes” for which he was removed not only as party head and Politburo member but also as executive vice chairman of the party’s Central Military Commission, a more powerful post than the equivalent government commission post.

Diplomats and analysts added that they suspect that the nation’s tough-talking, conservative president, Yang Shangkun, who has wide support in the army and who many believe was a key architect of the brutal crackdown, is lobbying to replace Zhao as the No. 2 man on the two military commissions. Yang has been listed as No. 3 on both commissions.

Deng is the head of both military commissions.

A decision on Zhao’s replacement as party commission vice chairman may provide a clue to the possible successor to Deng, who is 84 and has promised several times to step down in the near future.

Although Friday’s session of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee was punctuated by polite applause, unanimous votes and a series of speeches praising the aging leadership for its tough political stance, diplomats said China’s Communist Party has little to celebrate today.

Divisions Within Party

Divisions remain within the Communist Party despite the purge, they say, and it is still struggling to win back popular support among Beijing’s students, intellectuals and ordinary people.

Several students interviewed by The Times on the eve of the celebrations said that the anger and frustration on campuses remains high--but mute--and they added that the propaganda campaign generally is not working.

“More than 50% of the residents of Beijing do not believe these lies,” said one student at a downtown Beijing campus when asked about the government’s propaganda. “But it would be a stupid thing to do just after they came in and gunned us all down to stand up and say, ‘Down with the party.’ ”