This year marks the 37th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, and the “Tiananmen Mothers,” composed of relatives of the deceased from that year, have once again called on the Chinese authorities to reveal the truth of the “June Fourth” incident, compensate the victims’ families, hold those responsible accountable under the law, and provide justice to every family affected.
On the eve of the 37th anniversary of the “June Fourth” incident, the “Tiananmen Mothers” published a joint memorial article online signed by 107 family members of the victims. The number of signatories decreased compared to last year, as 87-year-old Xiong Hui passed away in May 2025 due to illness. His son, Xiong Zhiming, a 20-year-old student at Beijing Normal University’s Department of Economics at the time, was among those who lost their lives during the event.
Over the past thirty years of seeking accountability from the government, the number of deaths among the families of the June Fourth victims has risen to 80. These individuals passed away with the regret of not being able to seek justice for their deceased loved ones.
The “Tiananmen Mothers” emphasized that the tragic events of June 3rd and 4th, 1989, in Beijing, the capital of China, were orchestrated by a minority of officials in power at the time, who ordered the military to brutally suppress peaceful student and civilian protests. It was an event caused solely by the government, a severe violation of the Chinese Constitution, human rights, and civil liberties. Due to being a government-led action, this human tragedy still remains unresolved after 37 years.
The memorial article stated that the government continues to adopt an evasive stance, avoiding resolution, and suppressing freedom of speech entirely. Despite the highly developed information technology, the truth about the “June Fourth” incident remains inaccessible within China. People are unable to openly discuss or mourn the event, and even commemorations by the families of the victims are subjected to strict surveillance. Such a reality has led many young people to be unaware that in June 1989, the military opened fire on unarmed students and citizens in Beijing, as if the event never happened.
The article mentioned that the official narrative regarding the bloody massacre of “June Fourth” continues to change, from initially calling it a “counter-revolutionary riot” to a “political turmoil,” and then back to “riot” and “counter-revolutionary riot.” In November 2021, the government only referred to it as “serious political turmoil” and “opposition to riots” without mentioning “quelling counter-revolutionary riots.” Regardless of the changing narratives, they aim to conceal the essence and facts of the government’s use of the military to suppress the people and deprive innocent lives.
The memorial article also highlighted the story of Xiong Zhiming’s tragedy. On the evening of June 3rd, 1989, Xiong Zhiming and a female classmate took shelter at an alley entrance, the female student was shot, and when he went to rescue her, he was also shot and died on the spot. His body was identified by other students at the scene through the clothes he was wearing, confirming him as a student of Beijing Normal University, and was later taken back to the school.
Xiong Zhiming’s parents were farmers from Jinxi County, Jiangxi Province. Despite their modest living conditions at the time, his ability to attend a university in Beijing was a source of pride for the entire family. Due to financial constraints, he did not even leave behind a photograph, with only a school bag remaining as a token of remembrance. His parents lamented, “Our child went to Beijing to study, but he never finished his studies and lost his life instead.”
The “Tiananmen Mothers” reiterated three demands: 1. Disclose the truth of the “June Fourth” incident; 2. Provide reasonable compensation to the victims and their families; 3. Hold those responsible accountable under the law.
Furthermore, the “Tiananmen Mothers” released a pre-recorded speech for the commemoration of the “June Fourth” incident. Zhang Xianling, an 88-year-old member of the “Tiananmen Mothers,” representing herself and other group members, expressed gratitude to those who have not forgotten to condemn the bloody suppression and remember those who sacrificed their lives for the people over the past 37 years.
She emphasized that as family members of the victims, they must “speak the truth, reject forgetting, seek justice, and call for conscience” to seek justice for their loved ones, to console the spirits of the deceased!