The Epoch Times
By Sonya Bryskine

The much-awaited publication of the memoirs by the former Chinese Premier Li Peng, which detailed controversial events leading up to the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre, has hit a roadblock, after the Hong Kong publisher has been forced to halt the book’s release.

About 20,000 Chinese-language copies of The Tiananmen Diary of Li Peng had initially been scheduled to go on sale in Hong Kong on June 22, but Bao Pu, of New Century Press, stopped the presses on Friday because he did not have copyright ownership, reports Reuters.

Reuters obtained an advance copy of the memoirs in which Li reveals that China’s former leader Deng Xiaoping, said the government had to “spill some blood” to quell the June 4, 1989, protests.

The memoirs were written in 2004, but have been suppressed by the Chinese leaders who have sought to erase any reference to the bloody crackdown that led to the deaths of thousands.

“Relevant institutions provided information related to copyright (ownership) before publication. According to Hong Kong copyright laws, we have no choice but to scrap our original publication plans,” Bao told Reuters by telephone from the former British colony on Saturday.    more …