Melbourne councillor regrets ‘timid acquiescence’ to China after ‘alarming message’

An Aussie council had planned to mark the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. But then it received a demand from the Chinese.

An expert in foreign policy says China’s successful intervention in Melbourne City Council’s plan to mark the Tiananmen Square massacre will “blow up in their face”.

It was revealed this week that councillor Jackie Watts had planned to table a motion commemorating 30 years since hundreds of students were killed in a crackdown against dissent.

But the June 4 meeting went ahead without it after Ms Watts received an alarming phone call from somebody purporting to represent the Chinese Consulate in Melbourne.

The alarming message convinced her not to go ahead with the motion.

Cr Watts pulled the motion, but last night revealed she regretted the “timid acquiescence” to Beijing.

“On reflection, I know that this was … an error on my part,” she told the council.

“I regret this on a number of levels.”

She said the effect of the phone call “led to suppression” and “such political influence … is not a minor matter”.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp reportedly had to fight back tears at the June 4 meeting.

Professor Nick Bisley from La Trobe University’s Humanities and Social Services department told Melbourne’s 3AW this morning China overstepped the mark.

A Chinese man stands alone to block a line of tanks heading east on Beijing's Changan Blvd. in Tiananmen Square on June 5, 1989. Picture: Jeff Widener/AP

“It’s going to blow up in the face of the PRC (People’s Republic of China),” he said.

Prof Bisley said the message would have originated in Beijing.

“You can be sure that the foreign ministry would’ve put the word out across the democratic world to say, ‘Do what you can to make sure governments don’t celebrate this thing.’”

“The question in my mind is what was in that communication they received that made them take that step?”

He said the perceived consequences for the council would have played a role in Cr Watts’ decision.

“The PRC makes no bones about its political preferences and will punish people, governments and the like that do things they are unhappy with,” he said.

“They all know to tip-toe carefully around the PRC.

“Receiving a phone call is not entirely unheard of. What we know about Chinese government influence operations is that places will get phone calls from people saying they are acting on behalf of the Chinese government … but when investigated it turns out they are not.”

The council did confirm it was in touch with the Chinese Consulate on the day of the meeting but said that was “standard protocol,” according to The Age.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp fought back tears amid a furore over the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

“It is standard for City of Melbourne officers to contact other levels of government and consulates, as a courtesy, to make them aware of matters which affect their affairs,” a spokesperson said.

Prof Bisley said he wasn’t surprised by the approach to council, but he was surprised by the manner in which it was handled.

“The surprising part here is firstly that you had an attempt to put pressure on a local government then also that it’s a bit clumsy,” he said.

The 1989 massacre at Tiananmen Square is rarely discussed in China. Officials refer to it only at the Tiananmen Square incident.

The official death toll varies depending on who you ask, but the crackdown was bloody. Pro-democracy protesters, many of them students, were massacred by People’s Liberation Army troops.

While Beijing refuses to acknowledge the attacks, events were held around the world 10 days ago.