U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE

Office of the Spokesman

For Immediate Release June 1, 2007

2007/436

Statement by Tom Casey, Deputy Spokesman

 

Message on the Eighteenth Anniversary of Tiananmen Square

 

It is now eighteen years since the brutal and tragic events of Tiananmen Square. The international community and ordinary Chinese citizens still do not know how many people were killed or injured when Chinese troops and tanks entered Beijing. The Government of China continues to suppress basic facts about the Tiananmen protests and the subsequent massacre. Many in China and elsewhere are unaware that thousands of Chinese citizens were arrested and sentenced without trial in 1989, and an estimated 100-200 still languish in prison for Tiananmen-related activities.

The fullest possible accounting by the Chinese Government of those killed, detained, or missing is long overdue. The families of victims and ordinary Chinese citizens deserve an accounting.

As the 2008 Olympic Games approach, the international community will place China under greater scrutiny. We urge the Chinese Government to move forward with a reexamination of Tiananmen, to release all Tiananmen era prisoners, and to cease harassment of the families of victims of Tiananmen. These actions, together with steps to protect Chinese citizens’ internationally-recognized fundamental freedoms, will help China achieve its goal of projecting a positive image.

 

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