On the eve of the 37th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, the co-chairs of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) in the United States issued a joint statement to commemorate the victims and their families, and strongly called for the release of numerous Hong Kong individuals, including Jimmy Lai, who were imprisoned for peacefully commemorating the events of June 4th.
In their statement released on Wednesday, June 3rd, CECC co-chairs Senator Dan Sullivan and Rep. Chris Smith expressed their dismay over the Chinese Communist Party’s continued refusal to answer the most basic question: “Why did peaceful demands for freedom and reform result in bullets and bloody repression?”
“Today, we commemorate the history that the Chinese Communist Party continues to try to erase,” the two legislators stated in their joint message. “As we mark the 37th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989, we honor all those who bravely stood for freedom of speech, accountability, and an end to corruption, paying the ultimate price of life and liberty.”
They emphasized that despite the CCP’s efforts to erase this history, they cannot deter people from seeking freedom and truth. “The CCP may occupy the square, but they cannot control people’s conscience; they may censor history, but they cannot erase memories,” they remarked.
In China, any mention of the Tiananmen crackdown remains taboo and is subject to strict internet and media censorship. As the annual vigil at Victoria Park in Hong Kong has been banned by the CCP, commemorative events have shifted to cities like Taipei, London, New York, and Berlin, where these cities will carry on the torch of preserving the memory of June 4th.
The CECC statement particularly highlighted the changing situation in Hong Kong. The co-chairs remembered the Hong Kong individuals who have stood firm in their beliefs of June 4th over the decades, noting that their commemorative activities are now prohibited, and organizers are being thrown into jail, where even peaceful remembrance is deemed a crime.
The commission explicitly called on the CCP to cease the scrutiny and denial of the June 4th incident, and demanded the release of Hong Kong individuals imprisoned for peaceful commemoration, including Nobel Peace Prize nominee Jimmy Lai, Chow Hang-tung, Gwyneth Ho, Joshua Wong, and Lee Cheuk-yan.
The co-chairs also paid tribute to the student leaders who have been exiled for many years. “Their courage, leadership, and unwavering commitment to freedom have enriched this country – the United States they have chosen as their home,” they remarked. “We will continue to commemorate the Tiananmen Square massacre every year until the people of China and Hong Kong can do so freely, without fear, punishment, or restriction.”
On the same day, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also issued a statement to commemorate this historic event. “No amount of censorship can erase this history. Those who sacrificed for the defense of inalienable rights to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly will one day see justice prevail,” Rubio said.