Pelosi Statement on the 27th Anniversary of Tiananmen Square Uprising and Massacre
Contact: Drew Hammill/Evangeline George, 202-226-7616
San Francisco – Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi today released the following statement marking the 27th anniversary of the democracy movement uprising and massacre that occurred at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on June 4, 1989:
“On June 4, 1989, the Chinese people defied injustice, challenged corruption, and demanded freedom. The Tiananmen Square uprising, fueled by the energy of the Chinese people, embraced the possibility of change and ennobled our world. Just as the Statue of Liberty symbolizes hope for generations of American immigrants, the Goddess of Democracy statue erected by demonstrators on Tiananmen represented the yearning for freedom and justice that endures among Chinese citizens long denied the liberty that all people deserve.
“Today, the world remembers the slaughtered students, the persecuted political prisoners, and all courageous Chinese citizens who opposed an oppressive government. We remember a bold citizen confronting a column of government tanks – an indelible image nominated for inclusion in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register for embodying the essence of the democracy movement. Yet, Chinese children, denied the truth in classrooms, must learn of the Tiananmen uprising and massacre from their parents and grandparents.
“Every time a Chinese citizen speaks out for freedom of speech and freedom of the press, for women’s rights and LGBT rights, for the rights of minority groups and religious freedom, the world remembers that an eternal dream survives in China. If we do not support human rights in China, then we lose all moral authority to speak about human rights any place in the world. May the memory of Tiananmen Square continue to strengthen our resolve on behalf of democracy and freedom.”
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