Chen Xitong, Beijing Mayor During Tiananmen Protests, Dies at 82

Chen Xitong, the mayor of Beijing during the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, died on Sunday, two days before the 24th anniversary of the armed crackdown that he championed, according to a state media report on Wednesday. Few politicians in China are likely to pass as little mourned.

Mr. Chen’s stance on the protests earned him promotion from the Communist Party and scorn from its opponents.

But he was ultimately disowned and reviled by the party as well. A career that started with literary yearnings ended with Mr. Chen jailed and accused of turning the Chinese capital into his brazenly corrupt fief.

Mr. Chen, who was to have turned 83 this month, died from the effects of cancer, China’s state-run news agency, Xinhua, reported on Wednesday, confirming reports in Hong Kong media and overseas Chinese Web sites a day before. Those reports said he was cremated in Beijing, with none of the party’s usual public praise and condolences. The Xinhua bulletin gave no such details.

full: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/06/world/asia/chen-xitong-mayor-during-tiananmen-protests-dies.html