Several members of the Beijing “Tiananmen Mothers” group, who represent victims of the “June 4th” crackdown, recently issued an open letter reiterating their demands for “truth, compensation, and accountability.” Observers believe that Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping is unlikely to overturn the events of “June 4th” as it would be seen as a threat to the party’s rule. However, the severity of the party’s crimes will eventually lead to its downfall.
The Tiananmen Mothers released a video message overseas just before the anniversary of June 4th, urging the Chinese authorities to engage in dialogue. They emphasized that the massacre of June 4th is a tragic event that the Chinese government must confront and be held accountable for. Over the past 35 years, the families of the victims have endured immense pain, with many parents who lost children passing away. Genuine acknowledgment of this tragedy by the government would provide the greatest comfort to the surviving parents.
On the early morning of June 4, 1989, the Chinese government deployed military forces to brutally suppress students and citizens in Beijing advocating for freedom and democracy, shocking the world. The Tiananmen Mothers demand the government disclose the true number of deaths and injuries, reveal the identities of those who perished, and issue a public apology.
The Tiananmen Mothers express discontent with the government’s silence over the past 35 years and reject the Communist Party’s distorted narrative of the 1989 Student Movement.
Since 1989, the Chinese authorities have referred to the Tiananmen Square protests as a “political disturbance” and continued to label it as “counterrevolutionary turmoil.” In November 2021, an official historical resolution briefly mentioned the events of 1989, using vague terms to downplay the significance of the democracy movement and the Tiananmen massacre.
Scholar and witness to the events of June 4th, Zheng Xuguang, believes that the Chinese government cannot admit to the seriousness of the massacre as it would lead to the inevitable downfall of the Communist Party. Xi Jinping and the party are interdependent, making it unlikely for him to confront the issue due to ideological constraints.
During the Tiananmen protests, Xi Jinping was governing the Ningde region of Fujian province. Reports indicate that he actively cooperated with the central government in preventing students from Zhejiang province from connecting with those in Fujian. Xi also ordered the public security agencies to closely monitor the region to maintain stability.
After the crackdown, Xi Jinping emphasized the need to align with the central party leadership. Officials who did not support the repression of the student movement were removed or marginalized, contrasting with his rapid promotion within the party.
The Tiananmen Mothers, a group composed of families of victims of the June 4th incident, are represented by spokesperson You Weijie. Each year on the anniversary of June 4th, they issue public appeals to the authorities for truth, compensation, and accountability. This year’s open letter was signed by 114 members.
However, like the event itself, this open letter is only accessible outside the Chinese internet firewall as mainland China blocks such content.
Member of the Tiananmen Mothers, Zhang Xianling, once wrote that her son Wang Nan’s tragic death in the events of June 4th had become a national tragedy, transcending her personal grief.
Zhang’s husband, retired professor Wang Fandi from the China Conservatory of Music, on his deathbed in December 2017, urged his wife to persist in seeking justice for the victims of June 4th and for the truth to be revealed.
Commentator Du Zheng wrote in the Taiwanese media on May 31st, pointing out that leaders who uphold the Communist Party’s one-party rule will never truly acknowledge the events of June 4th. The party’s so-called rectification does not absolve it of its crimes. History shows that the Communist Party is fundamentally flawed and incapable of self-correction, ensuring its inevitable downfall in the future.