Tiananmen Mothers call for probe 36 years after crackdown
Bereaved families of those killed in the crackdown on pro-democracy protests at Tiananmen Square in China's capital Beijing have called for bringing the truth to light ahead of the incident's 36th anniversary.
On June 4, 1989, the Chinese military opened fire on crowds of pro-democracy students and citizens who had gathered in and around the square. Many were killed or injured.
Tiananmen Mothers, a group formed by victims' relatives, issued online a statement signed by 108 people.
It says several of the group's members have died in the past year, and asks people to remember "the torment they carried for 36 years."
The document calls on China's government to conduct an impartial inquiry into the incident, make public the full list of those killed, and compensate the victims and their families. It also demands that the government pursue legal accountability for those responsible.
The group is urging the government to resolve the issue through dialogue.
One of the group's members, 87-year-old Zhang Xianling, lost her 19-year-old son in the incident.
She said in a video message that the bereaved families have repeatedly proposed dialogue to resolve the issue, but that the authorities have used all means to monitor and eavesdrop on the families instead of responding.
Zhang stressed that the group will continue to seek justice for the victims.
The Chinese government maintains that it made the right decision, and strictly controls dissemination of information about the incident.
Public access to the statement and video released by the group is restricted in China.
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