US Denies Censorship Can Erase Tiananmen Crackdown
The U.S. State Department underlined that no amount of censorship can erase the Tiananmen crackdown incident from 1989, demanding justice for victims.
Highlights
- •US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that censorship cannot erase history
- •Protesters in 1989 demanded democracy and freedom in Beijing's Tiananmen Square
- •The incident remains a controversial topic in China today
- •This statement comes less than three weeks after a summit between US and Chinese leaders
Washington said on Wednesday that Chinese censorship cannot 'erase' the deadly 1989 crackdown on unarmed protesters in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, and that victims will eventually be vindicated.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made this statement marking the 37th anniversary of the bloody episode. In his announcement, Rubio said, 'No amount of censorship can erase the past. Those who sacrificed to uphold their unalienable rights of free expression and peaceful assembly will be vindicated someday.' He highlighted that protesters were on Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989, 'to exercise their natural rights and demand democratic reforms and accountability for corruption.'
Tiananmen Crackdown: Sensitive but Remembered
The crackdown remains an intensely sensitive subject in communist-run China. This comes less than three weeks since President Donald Trump held a summit with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Rubio's statement underscores the deep-seated conflict and the unresolved tensions between the U.S. and China over human rights, particularly regarding events of 1989.
'We remember their lives and honor their legacy,' Rubio's statement concludes, emphasizing the enduring impact of the event on U.S.-China relations and global democratic movements.
