US-based Human Rights Watch has criticized the Chinese government for intensifying efforts to erase the memory of the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre while increasing social control in the country. The 37th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre was observed on Wednesday.
The events leading to the massacre began in April 1989 when students and others gathered peacefully in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, advocating for free expression, democratic reform, and an end to corruption. Subsequently, on June 3-4 that year, the Chinese army fired on protesters and bystanders in Beijing, resulting in several casualties.
Human Rights Watch mentioned that Chinese authorities have long prohibited commemorations of the massacre within the mainland. The group asserted that Beijing has not taken any steps to provide information or compensation to the families of the deceased or to prosecute those accountable for the killings. Yalkun Uluyol, a China researcher at HRW, emphasized the importance of acknowledging the past to uphold fundamental rights in the future.
The Tiananmen Mothers, in a statement signed by 107 members on May 27, urged the Chinese government to address the unresolved injustices from the events and provide justice and dignity to the affected families. The HRW highlighted that in Beijing last year, the Public Security Bureau disrupted a New Year gathering of the Tiananmen Mothers for the first time since 2009, raising concerns about government interference with citizens’ rights.
Following the Tiananmen Massacre, the Chinese government conducted a widespread crackdown, arresting numerous individuals on charges such as “counter-revolution” and disrupting social order. The government has not taken responsibility for the massacre or held officials accountable for the killings. The HRW called on the global community to hold the Chinese government responsible for past abuses and to support efforts by Chinese and Hong Kong people worldwide to commemorate the Tiananmen Massacre.
