"The first victory we can claim is that our hearts are free of hatred. Hence we say to those who persecute us and who try to dominate us: ‘You are my brother. I do not hate you, but you are not going to dominate me by fear. I do not wish to impose my truth, nor do I wish you to impose yours on me. We are going to seek the truth together’. THIS IS THE LIBERATION WHICH WE ARE PROCLAIMING."
Oswaldo José Payá Sardiñas (2002)
A 2017 declassified British diplomatic cable revealed that
"at least 10,000 people were killed. The Chinese Communist regime still defends committing this massacre, and is punishing those who seek to remember and observe the date.
George Orwell wrote in "As I Please" in the Tribune on February 4, 1944 that "[t]he
really frightening thing about totalitarianism is not that it commits
'atrocities' but that it attacks the concept of objective truth; it
claims to control the past as well as the future."
We are witnessing this attempt to silence the victims, erase
and rewrite the history of the 1989 Tiananmen protests and the
crackdown and massacre that began on June 3, 1989 through social media
and in the real world. People are being arrested for engaging in silent,
nonviolent protests in remembrance of students and workers murdered by
the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) on orders of the Chinese Communist
Party (CCP).
Making this known is the most effective method to combat
it by amplifying the voices of those impacted, and who continue to demand justice. Below is the 2025 declaration by the Tiananmen Mothers, translated by Human Rights in China.
The Tiananmen Mothers have issued the following statement on the 36th anniversary of the June Fourth (Tiananmen) Massacre. Read the English version here, translated by HRIC: https://t.co/KhwPP02FeJpic.twitter.com/97y1d0ZCEA
— 中国人权-Human Rights in China (@hrichina) May 29, 2025
The Czech writer Milan Kundera wrote that "[t]he struggle of man against
power is the struggle of memory against forgetting." This is the
challenge presented by the Chinese Communist Party in its effort to
erase the mass protests, months long occupation and crackdown in
Tiananmen Square, and across China. It is also why we must remember and
honor courageous Chinese dissidents such as Liu Xiaobo martyred for his commitment to nonviolence and democracy.
If you are in the Washington DC area then join the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation on June 4 at 8:00pm at the Victims of Communism Memorial located on the corner of New Jersey and Massachusetts Avenues to honor the
legacy of the brave men and women who stood for freedom, and paid the ultimate price, at their annual
Tiananmen Square Massacre candlelight vigil
Please also share over social media documentary information on what happened. For example, the three hour 1995 documentary, The Gate of Heavenly Peace, provides an over view of the entire protest, and its context in Chinese history, and it is available online. The BBC in 2019 provided a more concise synopsis of the crackdown which is shared below.
"Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. which cuts without
wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals." -
Martin Luther King, Jr.
History weighs heavily in August of 2014: the 110th observance of the start of World War 1; eighty fifth anniversary of the signing of Molotov Ribbentrop, the treaty that triggered World War 2 by splitting Poland between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union; 44 years on the 31 of August 1980 the Polish Solidarity union came into existence; and Cubans observed the 30th anniversary of a mass uprising in Havana known as the Maleconazo that sparked another huge exodus of tens of thousands of Cubans fleeing to freedom.
Within this somber month of needed reflection on what not to do
there is an incident that took place that needs to be remembered on
what needs to be done. In addition to dismembering Poland, the Molotov
Ribbentrop Pact placed the Baltic States under Soviet control. A
nonviolent moment thirty five years ago that ended up liberating
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia brought an end to this part of the Nazi-Soviet
non-aggression pact and it was called the Baltic Way.
— Embassy of Lithuania in DC | #StandWithUkraine (@LTembassyUS) August 23, 2024
On June 4, 1989 the Solidarity labor movement won in free elections and the Polish people finally regained their sovereignty
after nearly 50 years under totalitarian oppression. They did it
nonviolently. So did the people of the Baltic states when two million
Latvians, Lithuanians and Estonians joined hands together in a giant
human chain stretching 370 miles on August 23, 1994. Fifty years to the
day after the treaty that brought them so much grief had been signed.
On 23 August 1939 foreign ministers of the USSR and Germany - Vyacheslav
Molotov and Joachim von Ribbentrop, as ordered by their superiors
Stalin and Hitler, signed a treaty which affected the fate of Europe and
the entire world. This pact, and the secret clauses it contained,
divided the spheres of influence of the USSR and Germany and led to
World War II, and to the occupation of the three Baltic States -
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
50 years later, on 23 August 1989, the three nations living by the
Baltic Sea surprised the world by taking hold of each other's hands and
jointly demanding recognition of the secret clauses in the
Molotov-Ribbentrop pact and the re-establishment of the independence of
the Baltic States. More than a million people joined hands to create a
600 km long human chain from the foot of Toompea in Tallinn to the foot
of the Gediminas Tower in Vilnius, crossing Riga and the River Daugava
on its way, creating a synergy in the drive for freedom that united the
three countries.The Baltic Way was organized by the national movements
of each of the Baltic States: the Popular Front of Estonia Rahvarinne,
the Popular Front of Latvia and the Lithuanian Reform Movement Sąjūdis.
The Baltic Way brought important changes to the history of the world.
This was achieved through social unity and through the joint commitment
and confidence manifested by every individual in pursuing the common
goal. This impressive act of non-violent protest and solidarity whilst
keeping sovereignty was a living example of the culture of peace,
opening up access to information and leading to the acknowledgement of
the secret treaty and its hideous consequences for the whole world. It
increased the opportunity for the national self-determination of
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and encouraged democratic movements
throughout the Soviet Union. The three Baltic States succeeded in
gaining their freedom in a peaceful way, creating a precedent that was,
and hopefully will be, followed by a number of countries all over- the
triumph of humanity over totalitarianism.
Its a powerful testament that the liberation of Poland and the Baltic
states from totalitarian occupation was achieved after fifty years
through nonviolent resistance. Now in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia
August 23rd has a double significance.
Today we gathered in Washington DC to remember and celebrate this enduring nonviolent victory, and its continuing lessons.
Celebrating 35 years since the Baltic Way. 🇪🇪-🇱🇻- 🇱🇹 This nonviolent demonstration in 1989 linked 2M people to protest the Soviet occupation & is now a symbol for the fight for liberty. Gathered in Washington DC today to mark the #BalticWay anniversary. https://t.co/dwHG9pPH1Dpic.twitter.com/IqZ3CopVPT
A 2017 declassified British diplomatic cable revealed that
"at least 10,000 people were killed. The Chinese Communist regime still defends committing this massacre, and is punishing those who seek to remember and observe the date.
To commemorate the 35th anniversary of June 4th, Yi Bao has specially translated five memoir articles by Mr. Zhou Duo, one of the four gentlemen of Tiananmen Square, into English for the convenience of English readers. Please feel free to share! Part 1https://t.co/2CjDKM99UIpic.twitter.com/3zrDLROg0y
George Orwell wrote in "As I Please" in the Tribune on February 4, 1944 that "[t]he
really frightening thing about totalitarianism is not that it commits
'atrocities' but that it attacks the concept of objective truth; it
claims to control the past as well as the future."
On this day in 1989, the People’s Liberation Army opened fire on civilian protesters in Tiananmen Square. Revisit @JiayangFan’s remembrance of the event, which occurred when she was a a young child in Chongqing, China. https://t.co/fu2itksbZvpic.twitter.com/UyZIBdFwNw
We are witnessing this attempt to silence the victims, erase
and rewrite the history of the 1989 Tiananmen protests and the
crackdown and massacre that began on June 3, 1989 through social media
and in the real world. People are being arrested for engaging in silent,
nonviolent protests in remembrance of students and workers murdered by
the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) on orders of the Chinese Communist
Party (CCP). Making this known is the most effective method to combat
it.
June 2: a bunch of 🇨🇳 CCP tankies — Chinese Americans / 🇨🇳 nationals — ferociously yelling “long live the communist party!” and “bog off and go back to Taiwan!” offensively harassed people commemorating the Tiananmen Square massacre in Flushing, NYC. pic.twitter.com/cHspFOMpxR
The Czech writer Milan Kundera wrote that "[t]he struggle of man against
power is the struggle of memory against forgetting." This is the
challenge presented by the Chinese Communist Party in its effort to
erase the mass protests, months long occupation and crackdown in
Tiananmen Square, and across China. It is also why we must remember and
honor courageous Chinese dissidents such as Liu Xiaobo martyred for his commitment to nonviolence and democracy.
Hong Kong Christian newspaper runs blank front page ahead of Tiananmen crackdown anniversary
A 2017 declassified British diplomatic cable revealed that
"at least 10,000 people were killed. The Chinese Communist regime still defends committing this massacre, and is punishing those who seek to remember and observe the date.
In Hong Kong, commemorating the Tiananmen Square Massacre with white flowers, signs, or a hunger strike lead to arrests.
It's a poignant example of eroding free speech and political rights. Charges of 'sedition' could result in lengthy imprisonment. https://t.co/tUpJR5YWKg
George Orwell wrote in "As I Please" in the Tribune on February 4, 1944 that "[t]he
really frightening thing about totalitarianism is not that it commits
'atrocities' but that it attacks the concept of objective truth; it
claims to control the past as well as the future."
We are witnessing this attempt to silence the victims, erase and rewrite the history of the 1989 Tiananmen protests and the crackdown and massacre that began on June 3, 1989 through social media and in the real world. People are being arrested for engaging in silent, nonviolent protests in remembrance of students and workers murdered by the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) on orders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Making this known is the most effective method to combat it.
The Czech writer Milan Kundera wrote that "[t]he struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting." This is the challenge presented by the Chinese Communist Party in its effort to erase the mass protests, months long occupation and crackdown in Tiananmen Square, and across China. It is also why we must remember and honor courageous Chinese dissidents such as Liu Xiaobo martyred for his commitment to nonviolence and democracy.
My performance artist friend Sanmu just got arrested in Hong Kong, he was trying to perform on the street on June/3 to commemorate 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, during his arrest, he yelled “, Hongkongers have no fear! Don’t forget June 4th!” pic.twitter.com/itYnfDiSii
Last night participated in a candlelight vigil hosted by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation where I listened to eyewitnesses who were present in the square in 1989, and those persecuted today for holding vigils in remembrance.
HRIC Note: On the 34th anniversary of the June Fourth Massacre, the Tiananmen
Mothers have authorized Human Rights in China to publish this essay. See our website
for more information on June Fourth and the Tiananmen Mothers.
[Translation by Mi Ling Tsui]
The year 2023 marks the 34th anniversary of the June Fourth Massacre that unfolded
on the night of June 3-4, 1989, on the ten-mile-long Chang'an Avenue in Beijing, the
capital of China.
Though 34 years have passed, for us, family members of those killed, the pain of
losing our loved ones in that one night has tormented us to this day, in a nightmare
that has never let go. In a time of peace, the Chinese government flouted the world’s
condemnation and brazenly mobilized the nation’s military power against unarmed
students and ordinary people, in a massacre that shocked the world—the June Fourth
Massacre. We, families of June Fourth victims, will not relinquish our determination
to seek justice for our loved ones every single day that the authorities refuse to make
public the truth about the massacre—until justice is done.
Since the 33rd anniversary of June Fourth, in 2022, seven members of our group have
passed away (one of them died of old age and physical decline in the first half of the
year, and the other six died in the second half of the year). Every time we heard the
news of the passing of a fellow family member, we were struck with great sorrow,
especially because we could not visit the families of the deceased immediately due to
pandemic restrictions. Our hearts are heavy, with no relief.
As we commemorate our loved ones on this 34th anniversary of June Fourth, we
honor the deceased family members here—in order to restore history, bear
witness to how the victims were killed, recall the harm and suffering inflicted on
the victims’ families by the troops who perpetrated the massacre, and so that
people can know their misery and remember their desire and unwavering
determination to defend their lawful rights and seek justice for their loved ones.
Although their lives are gone, their final wishes are still with us.
A 2017 declassified British diplomatic cable revealed that
"at least 10,000 people were killed. The Chinese Communist regime still defends committing this massacre.
George Orwell wrote in "As I Please" in the Tribune on February 4, 1944 that "[t]he really frightening thing about totalitarianism is not that it
commits 'atrocities' but that it attacks the concept of objective truth;
it claims to control the past as well as the future."
We are witnessing this attempt to silence the victims, and rewrite the history of the 1989 Tiananmen protests and the crackdown and massacre that began on June 3, 1989 through social media.
The Czech writer Milan Kundera wrote that "[t]he struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting." This is the challenge presented by the Chinese Communist Party in its effort to erase the mass protests, months long occupation and crackdown in Tiananmen Square, and across China. It is also why we must remember and honor courageous Chinese dissidents such as Liu Xiaobo martyred for his commitment to nonviolence and democracy.
Last night participated in a candlelight vigil hosted by the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation and on Saturday, June 4th starting at 11:00am in Rockville, MD free Chinese will hold a Freedom from Tyranny Rally.
Thirty-three years ago, a brutal tragedy of unparalleled
savagery occurred in China, sending shockwaves across the nation and
around the world. The ruling Communist Party of China and the Chinese
government, in complete disregard of the lives of the hundreds of
thousands of students and common people along the ten-mile Chang’an
Avenue, used the military to indiscriminately murder innocent people in
the capital city of Beijing with live ammunition. The armed forces aimed
their guns at them and even drove tanks to crush the crowd, killing and
injuring thousands.
This government-led massacre caught Beijing residents
completely off guard. At around 10 p.m. on June 3, under cover of
darkness, martial law troops rode tanks and armored vehicles from all
directions toward Tiananmen Square. On their way, they sprayed students
and residents with gunfire and chased after those trying to escape,
leaving heavy casualties in their wake. Early the next morning, on June
4, when student protestors evacuated from the square in files and walked
to Liubukou in Xidan, the army unleashed poisonous tear gas with
paralyzing nerve agents, causing the students and residents at the scene
to collapse on the ground, unable to move due to difficulty breathing
and a feeling of suffocation. A row of tanks ran over the fallen crowd,
killing or seriously injuring more than ten students on the spot.
Among the 203 victims we have found so far are 61
undergraduate and graduate students from various universities, 14
elementary and middle school students, and 14 missing persons. The
youngest was only 9 and the oldest 66.
In April and May 1989, millions of students and common
people joined marches, petitions, and protests, exercising the rights
conferred to Chinese citizens under the Constitution and the law—these
were lawful acts that did not violate the Constitution whatsoever. From
beginning to end, the movement upheld the principles of peace,
rationality, and non-violence. Up until the military crackdown, the
entire social order had been stable. This stability was conscientiously
maintained by the students and other members of the public in the
nation’s capital. The students and the public in the demonstrations were
simply demanding an end to corruption and official malfeasance, freedom
of speech, disclosure of officials' assets, and the establishment of a
mechanism for civil society to monitor the integrity of government
officials. None of these demands deviated from the constitutional
framework. When the two sides disagreed, the protestors did nothing more
than ask the government for a reasonable resolution within the scope of
the Constitution and the law: through the legal process, consultation,
and dialogue.
But the ruling CPC and the Chinese government completely
ignored the people’s reasonable demands and chose a course of action
completely contrary to modern civilization. They abused their power to
savagely and brutally kill and crush their own citizens with bullets and
tanks, and subsequently launched a fascist-like nationwide probe,
hurling the whole society into a state of terror and putting everyone in
danger.
We cannot help but ask: Did the student movement, which
merely offered suggestions to help the ruling party and government to
serve the people with greater integrity, really warrant military
suppression and arbitrary killing of innocent citizens? As the student
protests spread from Beijing to the whole country, they became a way for
the people to express their good wishes for the government. And what is
your definition of “the people”? Do the people become the enemy once
they put forth a recommendation? The Chinese ruling party and government
then went on to absolve themselves from their murderous crime and
responsibility under the guise of “quelling counter-revolutionary
riots”—isn’t it too cruel?
Sending the army to slaughter students and civilians in
peacetime is undeniably an atrocity against humanity. In the face of the
vibrant lives shot to death in the June Fourth massacre, the
unilateral, fact-denying characterization and rhetoric of China's ruling
party and government are pale and devoid of humanity. They will not
withstand the test of history.
Over the past 33 years, 64 members of our group of
bereaved family members of June Fourth victims have passed away. This
year we have had two more deaths, Yin Min and Liu Qian. Liu, the oldest
member of our group, died in late April this year, at the age of 97.
Seeking government accountability for the massacre in
accordance with the law is our legitimate right. For 33 years, we have
been pursuing the three demands of “truth, compensation, and
accountability” in a peaceful and rational manner, calling for a
dialogue with the government through the legal process to resolve the
issues related to the June Fourth massacre.
We appeal to your conscience on behalf of the families of those killed. For fairness and justice, we will persevere.
Huge statue of Josef Stalin torn down during the 1956 Hungarian uprising
Sixty years ago today on October 23, 1956 the Hungarian anti-communist revolt began and nineteen days later it was finally crushed by Soviet troops on November 10, 1956 that had invaded six days before. 3,000 Hungarian anti-communists were killed as opposed to 772 Soviets. The free world stood by and watched without lifting a finger. Time Magazine recognized the Hungarian freedom fighter as the 1956 Man of the Year.
It would be another 33 years before Hungary would achieve freedom through a nonviolent uprising and the Soviet statues would be torn down permanently. Nevertheless today we remember those brave men and women who risked all for freedom and in many cases lost their lives.
"The salvation of this human world lies nowhere else than in the human heart, in the human power to reflect, in human meekness and human responsibility."- Václav Havel IHT (21 February 1990)
The Velvet Revolution in Prague on November 17, 1989
What was
achieved 25 years ago in Czechoslovakia on November 17, 1989 that makes it a day of celebration around the world? It was a rejection of totalitarianism and the system of lies
and hatred on which the regime thrived. It was a rebirth of freedom and of
normal human relationships. In Vaclav Havel's address to the European Parliament on November 11, 2009 he outlined the daunting challenges faced after the transition:
A
democratic political culture cannot be created or renewed overnight. It
takes a lot of time and in the meantime there are plenty of
unanticipated problems to be solved. Communism ruled just once in modern
times (and, hopefully, for the last time), so the phenomenon of
post-Communism was also a novelty. We had to confront the consequences
of the rule of fear that lasted for so many years, as well as all the
dangers related to a redistribution of property without precedent in
history. So there were and are lots of obstacles and we are only now
acquiring experience of such a state of affairs.
Months earlier in the summer of 1989 Jiří Křižan and Václav Havel had drafted "A Few Sentences" Petition calling for the release of political prisoners and respect for human rights. Tens of thousands of Czechoslovakians signed the petition and it contributed to the Velvet Revolution and the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia.
What took place on November 17, 1989 was the nonviolent triumph of the power of the powerless over a brutal totalitarian regime.This is in profound contrast to the centenary of the start of World War One that was supposed to make the world safe for democracy and instead ushered in two totalitarian systems: Nazism and Communism, a Second World War and a Cold War.
The Velvet Revolution was not inevitable, but a combination of providence, free will, and principled human action. The "Velvet Revolution"
achieved profound non-violent change without wholesale slaughter and
violence associated historically with revolutions. A cursory look would
claim that the "revolution" took 11 days in November for the Communists to relinquish power. Some say it began in 1976 after the beating and arrest of the rock band the Plastic People of the Universe led to a number of intellectuals, Vaclav Havel, among them drafting and signingCharter 77challenging the Czech communists to honor the rights outlined in their own constitution and in the Helsinki accords which the communist government had signed in 1975.
The
era of dictatorships and totalitarian systems has not ended at all. It
may have ended in a traditional form as we know it from the 20th
century, but new, far more sophisticated ways of controlling society are
being born. It requires alertness, carefulness, caution, study and a
detached view.
I've had the privilege to have walked the streets and breathed the air of Prague in May of 1990, barely five months after Havel went to the Castle in December of 1989, and returned nineteen years later in October of 2009 to participate in Forum 2000 and see the changes that had taken place. Although Czechs may no longer look in awe at all that they have accomplished after walking around the center of the city visiting shops and a grocery store, and talking with Czechs over a few beers I left impressed by all that had been accomplished, and with an overwhelming sense of happiness at bearing witness to a flowering of freedom and creativity that continues to endure and thrive. Victims of dictatorship the world over have experienced first hand the solidarity of the Czech and Slovak peoples. Further evidence that 25 years later the ideals of the Velvet Revolution endure.
Vaclav Havel greets crowds in Wenceslas Square during 'Velvet Revolution'.
Chris Gueffroy shot and killed crossing the Berlin Wall February 5, 1989
One of the last victims, Chris Gueffroy
was born on June 21, 1968 and shot dead on February 5, 1989 trying to
cross on the Britzer Zweigkanal, near the small garden colonies
“Harmonie“ and “Sorgenfrei” on the sector border between Berlin-Treptow
and Berlin-Neukölln. Dead at 20 years of age for the crime of wanting
to live in freedom. A memorial column commemorating Chris Gueffroy was
erected at Britzer Zweigkanal in Berlin-Treptow in 2003 in honor of his
35th birthday. A biography and account of the circumstances that led to his death and the aftermath are available online.
On the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall being torn down U2 sang at the Brandenburg Gate and on the 25th anniversary the performance that stands out is Peter Gabriel's singing a cover of David Bowie's song Heroes which has lyrics that make allusion to the Berlin Wall:
I, I can remember (I remember)
Standing, by the wall (by the wall)
And the guns shot above our heads
(over our heads)
And we kissed,
as though nothing could fall
(nothing could fall)
And the shame was on the other side
Oh we can beat them, for ever and ever
Then we could be Heroes,
just for one day
It is an appropriate song for the occasion. Prior to the start of the song the pictures of the victims who were killed trying to cross the Berlin Wall from 1969 through 1989 were shown on a giant outdoor screen. Walking through the Berlin Wall Memorial and listening to the names of the victims and seeing them is a powerful experience that all who visit the German capital should experience.
"Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon. which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals." - Martin Luther King, Jr.
The Baltic Way brought an end to one key element of Molotov Ribbentrop
History weighs heavily in August of 2014: the centenary of the start of World War 1; seventy fifth anniversary of the signing of Molotov Ribbentrop, the treaty that triggered World War 2 by splitting Poland between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union; thirty five years later, leaders of the Khmer Rouge are finally brought to face justice before an international tribunal; 34 years on the 31 of August 1980 the Polish Solidarity union came into existence; and Cubans observed the 20th anniversary of a mass uprising in Havana known as the Maleconazo that sparked another huge exodus of tens of thousands of Cubans fleeing to freedom.
Within this somber month of needed reflection on what not to do there is an incident that took place that needs to be remembered on what needs to be done. In addition to dismembering Poland, the Molotov Ribbentrop Pact placed the Baltic States under Soviet control. A nonviolent moment twenty five years ago that ended up liberating Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia brought an end to this part of Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact and it was called the Baltic Way. On June 4, 1989 the Solidarity labor movement won in free elections and the Polish people finally regained their sovereignty after nearly 50 years under totalitarian oppression. They did it nonviolently. So did the people of the Baltic states when two million Latvians, Lithuanians and Estonians joined hands together in a giant human chain stretching 370 miles on August 23, 1994. Fifty years to the day after the treaty that brought them so much grief had been signed.
On 23 August 1939 foreign ministers of the USSR and Germany - Vyacheslav Molotov and Joachim von Ribbentrop, as ordered by their superiors Stalin and Hitler, signed a treaty which affected the fate of Europe and the entire world. This pact, and the secret clauses it contained, divided the spheres of influence of the USSR and Germany and led to World War II, and to the occupation of the three Baltic States - Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
50 years later, on 23 August 1989, the three nations living by the Baltic Sea surprised the world by taking hold of each other's hands and jointly demanding recognition of the secret clauses in the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact and the re-establishment of the independence of the Baltic States. More than a million people joined hands to create a 600 km long human chain from the foot of Toompea in Tallinn to the foot of the Gediminas Tower in Vilnius, crossing Riga and the River Daugava on its way, creating a synergy in the drive for freedom that united the three countries.The Baltic Way was organized by the national movements of each of the Baltic States: the Popular Front of Estonia Rahvarinne, the Popular Front of Latvia and the Lithuanian Reform Movement Sąjūdis.
The Baltic Way brought important changes to the history of the world. This was achieved through social unity and through the joint commitment and confidence manifested by every individual in pursuing the common goal. This impressive act of non-violent protest and solidarity whilst keeping sovereignty was a living example of the culture of peace, opening up access to information and leading to the acknowledgement of the secret treaty and its hideous consequences for the whole world. It increased the opportunity for the national self-determination of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and encouraged democratic movements throughout the Soviet Union. The three Baltic States succeeded in gaining their freedom in a peaceful way, creating a precedent that was, and hopefully will be, followed by a number of countries all over- the triumph of humanity over totalitarianism.
Its a powerful testament that the liberation of Poland and the Baltic states from totalitarian occupation was achieved after fifty years through nonviolent resistance. Now in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia August 23rd has a double significance.
Residents of Hong Kong remember June 4, 1989 victims
Twenty three years later the men who committed a slaughter of nonviolent demonstrators remain free with impunity and some of those who peacefully demonstrated are still in prison today. Requests by the United States and France for these prisoners of conscience to be released are rejected. Another after unjustly serving 22 years in prison and one year out of prison has been found dead under suspicious circumstances.
Li Wangyang, labor activist and former prisoner of conscience found dead
At the same time an ominous death underlined the observance of this grave injustice, Li Wangyang, 62, a labor activist from Hunan province who led workers in sympathy protests during the 1989 student demonstrations in 1989 and served 22 years in prison. He was found early Wednesday morning hanging by a bedsheet from security bars over a window. Officials said it was suicide. The evidence indicates otherwise.
Li, who was blind and mostly deaf, could not and would not have killed himself. According to a family member: "He could barely hold a bowl without his hands shaking. I can’t imagine how he could have tied his sheets into a knot," said Zhao. He noted that there were guards assigned to the hospital to watch Li. "How could this happen when there were security guards watching him? We have many questions."
Like the Ladies in White in Cuba the Tiananmen Mothers are working for justice for their loved ones and homeland while seeking freedom for those unjustly imprisoned. Below is their letter on the 23rd anniversary of that horrible day.
Never Forget.
Commemorating the 23rd Anniversary of the Passing of the Victims of the 1989 June Fourth Crackdown
This year marks the 23rd anniversary of the passing of the victims of the 1989 June Fourth crackdown. This autumn, the Communist Party of China (CPC) will hold its 18th National Congress.
We recall that 10 years ago, the new administration of President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao was established during the 16th Party Congress. At that time, we, the Tiananmen Mothers, solemnly issued the following appeal to the new session of the CPC Central Committee:
We sincerely appeal to the Party’s new Central Committee to take the opportunity of resolving the June Fourth issue to allay the people's discontent, defuse a crisis, achieve reconciliation between the government and the people, and systemically prevent large-scale social unrest from occurring.
If the Party acknowledges not in words but in practice that democracy and human rights are the universal values pursued by modern, civilized people, and are the only way in which China can modernize, then we as Chinese citizens would have reason to look forward to this: that the new Central Committee will use the courage and vision responsible for the long-term interests of the country and people to re-evaluate June Fourth and put a decisive end to the obsolete one-party dictatorship system, thereby promoting and proceeding in comprehensive reform politically, economically, and socially.
A pity! These ten years passed like a dream.
Ten years ago, the Party and country's leaders at least verbally acknowledged that democracy and human rights were universal human values. But today, the mainstream media and the Internet in mainland China have swept “universal values” into the garbage heap, not to mention the idea that democracy and human rights are the only way for China to modernize. A just resolution of the June Fourth issue remains far off as well. When looking to the future, people feel utterly helpless and confused.
People also notice that the problems raised by the Tiananmen Mothers in those early years have not lessened; rather, they have increased and intensified at a rapid pace. China's violations of human and civil rights have reached an extreme level, the gap between rich and poor has widened dramatically, systemic corruption is out of control, the moral bottom line is near collapse, sudden mass incidents keep occurring again and again.... Maintaining stability has become China's top priority in order to preserve the firmness of the ruling party’s power. The massive institutional damage to the Chinese nation over this past decade is incalculable.
China has experienced rapid economic development during Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao’s term. This could have provided a golden opportunity to initiate systemic political reform and a just resolution to the problems that have remained after June Fourth. However, the ossified bureaucrats, with Hu Jintao at the helm, kept to the beaten path and let the historic opportunity for a peaceful transformation over these ten years slip by for nothing.
In this oppressive and stagnant political climate, Wen Jiabao alone has repeatedly called for political reform, saying that there is no other choice but to move forward with reform and that stagnation and decline provide no prospects for the future. He went so far as to echo Deng Xiaoping on his Southern Tour in 1992: “To not pursue reform and opening up will lead only to a dead end.” During the National People’s Congress (NPC) and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) sessions earlier this year, Wen also said, “Without successful political reform, the gains we have made in our economic reform may be lost, and such historical tragedies as the Cultural Revolution may happen again in China.” His words sounded truthful, and his tone was earnest. But even as our fellow countrymen admired what he said, it also made us feel that it was more talk than promise.
As if this were a deliberate recitation, a March 20 article in the Financial Times reported that in recent years, Wen Jiabao has proposed redressing June Fourth on three separate occasions in secret meetings with the CPC leadership. Each time, his proposal was blocked by his colleagues. This kind of rumor also makes people wonder.
While Wen Jiabao’s discussion about redressing June Fourth cannot be verified, we hope that his calls for political reform are genuine. But even if they were, what can be done in reality?
China's current political system is convoluted, and the slightest change in any one part can affect the entire system. In China today, the special interest group cannot be destabilized by any one influential person. Its interests have been maximized and solidified and are well networked. The group resembles the four great clans shielded by the “Official’s Protective Charm” in the classic novel A Dream of the Red Chamber. Under the Charm, these clans “were closely connected, all got hurt when any one of them got hurt, all received honor when any one of them was honored, helped one another to conceal things, and looked after one other.” In the eyes of the people, even if Wen Jiabao were genuinely proposing to redress June Fourth, he would still have to retreat when he runs into this “Official’s Protective Charm.” At best, his would be nothing more than an effort to secure a decent reputation posthumously.
As could be expected, Wen Jiabao lamented the difficulties of reform in a press conference during the NPC and CPPCC sessions: “Reform will not be able to succeed without the consciousness, the support, the enthusiasm, and the creativity of our people.” This is tantamount to telling the people that they cannot rely on the CPC leadership, or the few uncorrupt leaders within the Party, to implement reform. Rather, they can only rely on the vast power of the people and the pressure from them. Historical experience has made clear for a long time that Chinese people experienced an awakening through the violent storm of 1989. The unprecedented enthusiasm and creative spirit demonstrated by the millions of people in Tiananmen Square have long been entered into the annals of history. Scenes of that storm are still fresh in the mind of every eyewitness. The fact is that the people's awakening, enthusiasm, and creative spirit were crushed to pieces by the tanks and machine guns of those with might. Not long after, people were forced to forget, to gradually erase the events from their memory. We believe that the only way forward for China's rulers is to atone and make up for the sins of their past. There is no other way. It is never too late to salvage the situation.
Our demands are the same as always. So long as the Tiananmen Mothers exist, our struggle for justice will not cease. So long as we can protest, our three demands—for truth, compensation, and accountability—will remain. We will not give up, and we will not change.
May the souls of the victims of June Fourth soon rest in peace!
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