China's Premier Wen Jiabao has written an unusual tribute to late reformist leader Hu Yaobang, whose death in 1989 triggered the Tiananmen democracy protests that were crushed by the army.
The editorial, published in the People's Daily newspaper — the mouthpiece of the Communist Party — recounts in a surprisingly open and emotional manner a trip the two made to southwestern China 1986.
"Comrade Yaobang's sincere, approachable, smiling face constantly appears before my eyes, and in my heart the cherished feelings I've put aside for so many years flood in like a tide," Wen wrote.
Hu, much loved by ordinary citizens, held the powerful position of communist party chief in 1987 when he was deposed over his unwillingness to crack down on student protests the previous year.
His death of a heart attack in April 1989 sparked the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy movement and his name was subsequently rarely mentioned in official media due to the link to the protests, a taboo topic in China.
But in the editorial on Thursday — the anniversary of his death — Wen revealed he remained very close to Hu and stayed in touch after his ouster, even bearing his cremated remains to their burial place.
"I personally experienced Comrade Yaobang's close ties with the people, his excellent way of being concerned for people's hardships… his open and candid, lofty moral character," Wen wrote.
"I personally witnessed how he threw himself into his work day and night for the party's cause and for the people's interests… The way he behaved himself had a huge influence on my work, studies, and life."
Wen also revealed that he had visited Hu's home every year during the Lunar New Year holiday since his death.
It was not immediately clear whether the editorial indicated any possible behind-the-scenes moves in China's monolithic and highly secretive top Communist leadership.
However, Wen's praise of Hu's concern for ordinary people fits with the popular image of the current premier.
Wen is regularly seen embracing victims of various disasters — in sharp contrast to the aloof public persona of other leaders such as President Hu Jintao — a practice that has earned him the affectionate nickname "Grandpa Wen."
"This is quite unusual," said Bao Tong, once a top aide to another purged former leader Zhao Ziyang. Bao is now under constant surveillance in Beijing.
But he expressed doubt over its political significance, noting that Hu was officially "rehabilitated" in 2005, despite still being viewed as politically sensitive.
"I hope that this is not an isolated thing," he told AFP.
"But if only Wen Jiabao can write a commemoration for Hu Yaobang, then it's an isolated issue. If ordinary citizens can also write about him, then it's not isolated."
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