r The Michigan Daily/New Student Edition -Thursday, September 7, 1989- Pag&9 The : ry Tiananmen Square tragedy University professors shed light on the student movement by Wendy Worthen Daily Staff Writer Faculty members from the Uni- versity's renown Center for Chinese Studies were enlisted this summer by many local and national news sources to help interpret the Chinese government's brutal crackdown on the student-led democracy movement in Beijing. * Professor Kenneth Lieberthal, di- 1rector of the Center for Chinese Studies, was visiting China during the June 4 massacre in Tiananmen Square. Fresh from appearing on ABC's Nightline, he along with five other faculty members, analyzed the political, economic, and intellectual implications of the events in Beijing at a University forum in June. Discussing developments in the Chinese leadership since the student protests began, Lieberthal said, "The octogenarians at the highest levels of China's government saw the student demonstrators as a manageable irri- tant - the students did not chal- lenge the system itself. The protestors did become a fundamental challenge, however, when those at the top became divided as to how to handle the problem." Economics Professor Robert Dernberger, a former congressional ad-visor on the Chinese economy, offered an economic view of the situation. He said the hard-line con- servatives who won control of the Chinese leadership now face extreme economic problems, the most press- ing being a huge decrease in foreign exchange as other countries levy economic sanctions against China. Philosophy Professor Donald Munro offered an explanation of what type of "democracy" the Beijing students have been fighting for. "At one end, some students want to be treated as individuals with in- dividual rights. They want govern- ment tolerance of independent stu- dent organizations," said Munro. "(The Chinese people) are more clear on the right to individual organiza- tion. For them, student organiza- tions and free labor union -plural- ism of organization- would be democracy." Political Science Professor Leonard Woodcock, a former U.S. Ambassador to China, gave a broader view of Chinese politics. "Corruption, nepotism, and infla- tion have become ever-more disturb- ing problems to the Chinese. The government was more divided than the outside world knew; power was invested in individuals, and under stress, the leadership became unsta- ble," said Woodcock. He said there is conflicting ideol- ogy between those who are survivors of the Cultural Revolution and the students who speak of democracy to- day. "An unbridgeable chasm separates elderly leaders from youth. Con- servative elders of the Communist Party are intellectually isolated," said Woodcock. UM News in The Daily 764-0552 i-ILE PHTOUI Over 300 students demonstrated in early June in the Diag to condemn the Chinese government for their actions against the students in Tiananmen Square. The protestors also demanded action from the US. PRACTICAL EDUCATION FOR SUCCESSFUL CAREERS Offering four-year bachelor and two-year associate degree programs. Programs in Accounting, Allied Health Occupations, Business Computer Systems, Business Office Systems, General Business, Marketing and Management. Custom designed training and retraining. WASHTENAW CAMPUS 2170 WASHTENAW AVE. YPSILANTI, MI 48197 1-800-686-1883 CL CLE LIVINGSTON CAMPUS 3750 CLEARY DRIv\I HOWELL, MI 48843 1-800-589-1979 f RY C O L L E G E AN INDEPENDENT COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ESTABLISHED IN 1883. Accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. &' ,4 0 U of M Students kow you ca START, STOP OR MOVE n your phone service with one call. Now you can take care of all your Michigan Bell business with just one call. If you want to order new service, disconnect, or transfer your service, call us at no charge (long distance collect) at 1 458-9700 Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. We'll act on your request right away. Call us today. It's the only way to take care of your phone business quickly, easily and accurately. Remember, the number for service is 1 458-9700.