Hours earlier, much of the world had seen the regime's violent suppresion of its citizens' call for democracy. I was interested to hear how that one-Party state would try to justify its actions. This was before the internet era, leaving one to rely on old school shortwave radio.

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I had a multi-band radio with a shortwave band. I stretched a wire across the ceiling, learned from local radio hobbyists where to find Radio Beijing's nightly English language broadcast beamed to North America and used the radio's earphone output to feed a small magnetic tape audio cassette recorder. I had no idea that what I captured would become historically significant.

Two weeks earlier, the regime had placed Beijing under martial law, after large crowds assembled, built a homegrown "Goddess of Democracy" and began quoting Thomas Jefferson instead of Mao Zedong. On the night of June 3 and lasting until dawn June 4, 1989, armed troops rolled into Tiananmen Square, tore down the Goddess of Democracy and some shot, wounded and killed those who resisted or got in their way.

Try to imagine what must have gone through the mind of the Radio Beijing broadcaster in terms of what he might face if he told the truth.

As you hear the audio below, remember that a shortwave radio signal travels long distances by bouncing off the ionosphere and is refracted back to the Earth on irregular paths that sometime cancel and cause phase distortion and signal drops. What you'll hear is exactly how it was received in the 25 meter shortwave band that night in a southern suburb near Los Angeles.

This is Radio Beijing. Please remember June the third, 1989. The most tragic event happened in the Chinese capital, Beijing.

Thousands of people, most of them innocent civilians, were killed by fully armed soldiers when they forced their way into the city. Among the killed are our colleagues at Radio Beijing.

The soldiers were riding on armored vehicles and used machine guns against thousands of local residents and students who tried to block their way. When the army convoys made a breakthrough, soldiers continued to spray their bullets indiscriminately at crowds in the street.

Eyewitnesses say some armored vehicles even crushed footsoldiers who hesitated in front of the resisting civilians.

Radio Beijing [sic] English Department deeply mourns those [sic] died in the tragic incident and appeals to all its listeners to join our protest for the gross violation of human rights and the most barbarous suppression of the people.

Because of this abnormal situation here in Beijing, there is no other news we could bring you. We sincerely ask for your understanding and thank you for joining us at this most tragic moment.

Like the Tiananmen "Tankman," this man's identity and fate remain uncertain. We've seen multiple conflicting accounts as to who he is and what happened to him.

Thirty years later, it remains for journalists worldwide to remember him, to learn his name [reports differ], find what happened to him [reports also differ] and if he is alive to speak with him and credit him for his principled action.

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