The image of a protestors facing down tanks is iconic in the west, many in China remain unaware of the bloody crackdown. (Courtesy Creative Commons/ Sam Hastings)

And while this event has come to define China in the eyes of many in the west, in China, government censorship has obscured the event for many Chinese citizens, with many under 30 unaware of the ill-fated demonstrations. The crackdown on mentions of the massacre, often referred to as 6.4, has extended from textbooks to social media. Censors at Sina Weibo, a micro-blog website similar to Twitter, have banned all searches for "6.4" as well as words such as "tank," "crush," and "never forget." Some activists have been jailed to prevent them from marking the anniversary, the BBC reported. 

China refuses to recognize the massacre to other nations, as well. On Sunday, a U.S. State Department spokesman called on China to release prisoners held since the 1989 demonstrations and to provide a full accounting of those killed during the crackdown on the protests. China called the statement a "gross intervention in China's internal affairs" and claims the American version of events is "in disrespect of facts." China has considered the uprising a "counter-revolutionary rebellion" and has never admitted any wrongdoing in its handling of events.

Read the entire story at the Christian Science Monitor. 

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