Ask Lemmy

Wait, really? I never knew it was that lightweight in china. Yeah, it’s flat out public execution (even torture depending in some cases) it’s pretty fucked. Oil barons are absolute scum 🫠

Some of the protestors of the Tianamen Square protests (those who survived anyways) were jailed, not executed. There were some who fled to the US, but later returned to China (I don't know what was the person thinking lol) but he didn't get arrested, he was denied entry and told to GTFO. Some were less lucky, and got disappeared.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Tiananmen_Square_protests_and_massacre#Immediate_aftermath

Each of the 21 students faced diverse experiences after their arrests or escapes; while some remain abroad with no intent to return, others have chosen to stay indefinitely, such as Zhang Ming. Only 7 of the 21 were able to escape. Some student leaders, such as Chai Ling and Wuer Kaixi, were able to escape to the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and other Western nations under Operation Yellowbird, which was organised by Western intelligence agencies such as MI6 and CIA from Hong Kong, a British territory at the time. According to The Washington Post, the operation involved more than 40 people and had its roots in the Alliance in Support of Democratic Movements in China formed in May 1989. After the Beijing protest crackdown, this group drew up an initial list of 40 dissidents they believed could form the nucleus of a "Chinese democracy movement in exile".

The remaining student leaders were apprehended and incarcerated. Those who escaped, whether in 1989 or after, generally have had difficulty re-entering China up to this day. The Chinese government has preferred to leave the dissidents in exile. Those who attempt to re-enter, such as Wu'er Kaixi, have been simply sent back but not arrested.

Chen Ziming and Wang Juntao were arrested in late 1989 for their involvement in the protests. Chinese authorities alleged they were the "black hands" behind the movement. Both Chen and Wang rejected the allegations made against them. They were put on trial in 1990 and sentenced to 13 years in prison. Others, such as Zhang Zhiqing, have essentially disappeared. After his initial arrest in January 1991 and subsequent release, nothing further is known about his situation and where he lives now. Zhang Zhiqing's role and reason for being listed on the 21 most wanted is generally unknown; this is the case for many others on the list, such as Wang Chaohua.

According to the Dui Hua Foundation, citing a provincial government, 1,602 individuals were imprisoned for protest-related activities in early 1989. As of May 2012, at least two remain incarcerated in Beijing, and five others remain unaccounted for. In June 2014, it was reported that Miao Deshun was believed to be the last known prisoner incarcerated for their participation in the protests; he was last heard from a decade ago.

I think its mostly due to international pressue. China was opening up trade at the time, and is now the largest trading partner to many countries. If they do too much oppression, they'll get sanctioned. So they try to do it more covertly and as less as possible to stay under the radar of foreign countries, but just enough oppression to keep the rulling party in power.

China used to be much worse during the Mao-era, its slowly improving. Homosexuality is now legal, transgender people are tolerated but they require surgery for official recognization. Its moving in the right direction. Who knows, maybe one day China will become a democracy.