International Tibet Network Members are today joining the commemoration of the 34th anniversary of the 4 June Tiananmen Square Massacre when the Chinese People’s Liberation Army opened fire on tens of thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators killing untold numbers of peaceful protesters and bystanders. 

In the weeks leading up to 4 June students, democracy activists, and workers had peacefully gathered in Tiananmen Square, and other Chinese cities, protesting against the ruling Party, calling for freedom of expression, accountability, and democracy.

We will always remember this catastrophic event and the bravery of all those who took part in the freedom protests of 1989.

As in previous years, authorities have been on high alert ahead of the anniversary to preempt commemorations of the massacre. Freedom is curtailed for anyone deemed a dissident or with links to the Tiananmen Square Massacre including members of Tiananmen Mothers, a group of relatives of Tiananmen Massacre victims. In March 2023, three Hong Kong pro-democracy activists who were also Tiananmen vigil organisers were convicted under the national security law.

Despite the consistent crackdowns from the Chinese regime against any form of dissidence, resistance to the Party’s increasingly repressive measures and calls for change both within Chinese borders and in occupied territories persist. Following an apartment fire that killed 10 people in Ürümchi, November 2022 saw a widespread outpouring of public dissent in many Chinese cities that came to be known as the White Paper Revolution.

In the past two years, world governments have become increasingly robust in the actions taken against China’s human rights abuses. The UN OHCHR released a long-awaited report in August 2022 detailing an assessment of human rights concerns in East Turkistan (CH: Xinjiang), including a statement that says the Chinese government has committed abuses against Uyghurs and other Turkic communities that may amount to crimes against humanity. But more needs to be done to ensure the international community response matches the courage and conviction of those who resist China from within.

Three decades on from the Tiananmen Massacre the human rights situation for all who live under China’s rule has hit an all-time low and repression across all regions and occupied territories. The situation in illegally occupied Tibet has deteriorated dramatically over the past decade and in 2023, it was listed as one of the least free countries in the world, alongside Syria and South Sudan. At least two million Uyghur, Kazakh, and Uzbek Muslims are currently incarcerated in “re-education camps” undergoing systematic torture, rape, and political re-education. In Hong Kong, the Chinese government has implemented a draconian National Security Bill that is being used to criminalise protest and even mild criticism of the Chinese government. Protests by Southern Mongolians, who are seeing their language and culture being eradicated, are put down with force.

We pay tribute to the enduring courage of those who continue to resist China’s draconian rule and we urge the international community to show not only that it will never forget the atrocities of the past, but that it will stand up against the flagrant disregard for fundamental human rights. We call on governments to join together to call on China to;

• Respect the rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly, and cease the harassment and arbitrary detention of individuals who challenge the official account of June 4;
• Allow immediate and unfettered independent access to China, Tibet and Uyghur areas by independent international human rights experts, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and relevant UN Special Rapporteurs; 
• End the abuse of national security legislation as a means of criminalising the work of human rights defenders, freedoms of expression, association, religion or belief and subverting due process, and call on China to seek assistance from UN experts to this end/achieve this. 
• Immediately release all individuals subjected to unlawful and unjustified deprivation of liberty. 

Supported by the following 121 Tibet Network Member Groups: