But as the country moved on, many of those who took part in the demonstrations went missing, taken by authorities in a quietly deepening crackdown on dissenters. "They want to get who they believe are the leaders and organisers, and those who play a leading role will be severely punished," he said, adding that the Chinese authorities' instinct will be to find out if "Western hostile forces" were behind the protests. "But increasing international scrutiny of the detentions may also aid those in custody