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Epoch Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Epoch Times
‘We Won't Forget': Canada Marks 36th Anniversary of Tiananmen Square Massacre
Canada's embassy in China has issued a statement commemorating the June 4 anniversary of the massacre in Beijing's largest public square, where more than 30 years ago the government violently suppressed a student-led pro-democracy movement. 'We won't forget [June 4,] 1989,' wrote Canada's embassy in China in a June 3 social media The Global Affairs Canada also marked the massacre's 36th anniversary, calling it a 'violent crackdown' that killed 'many unarmed and peaceful citizens.' 'To honour the lives lost, Canada continues to call on China to uphold its human rights obligations under international law,' the agency said in a June 4 social media Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre also issued a Related Stories 6/4/2025 6/4/2024 'Even as the world watched the brutality broadcast live, the Communist government sought to repress the truth of their massacre,' Poilievre said in a June 4 statement. 'They have never shown remorse, and their oppressive tactics continue to be used today,' he added. 'We must not let their denial of history win.' The federal Conservative Party has been a vocal critic of China's human rights abuses, as well as the Chinese regime's use of transnational The U.S. government also marked the 36th anniversary of the massacre, saying that while the 'CCP actively tries to censor the facts,' the world 'will never forget.' 'Today we commemorate the bravery of the Chinese people who were killed as they tried to exercise their fundamental freedoms,' Marco Rubio, U.S. secretary of state, said in a June 3 'Their courage in the face of certain danger reminds us that the principles of freedom, democracy, and self-rule are not just American principles,' he added. 'They are human principles the CCP cannot erase.' To date, the Chinese communist regime has not disclosed the number or identity of those killed in the massacre. New Generations Unaware Cheuk Kwan, co-chair of the Toronto Association for Democracy in China, says Beijing's efforts to censor information about the 1989 massacre have led to new generations in China growing up unaware of the incident. 'Even though the world watched in horror 36 years ago, the Chinese government is eager to suppress that information,' he told The Epoch Times, noting the regime's use of censorship methods such as internet blockades and media control. 'A lot of people, a generation later, do not even know that this existed.' He says this makes efforts to raise awareness of China's oppression more difficult, because 'we have to do double duty to not only commemorate [these events], but also to pass the message to the next generation–to make sure they do not forget.' The Toronto Association for Democracy in China was founded in May 1989 to support the student protests in Tiananmen Square and continues to advocate for democratic reform in China today. In recent years, the association has commemorated the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre alongside the 2019 Hong Kong protests, saying the suppression of pro-democracy advocates in both incidents amounts to a 'generational issue' involving the 'Chinese oppression both in Beijing and now in Hong Kong.' Kwan said that while many in Western countries understand that freedom of expression 'does not exist in China,' the lived reality in China and Hong Kong may still feel distant to them. He added that people in other countries can still support efforts to uphold the values of democracy and freedom. 'It is a duty for all the people who are freedom-loving people to defend this principle of freedom and democracy: the freedom of speech, the freedom of assembly, and of course, the freedom to voice your opinion without fear of retribution,' he said. Eva Fu contributed to this report.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
World will never forget brutal Tiananmen crackdown
The world will never forget China's 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square, Taiwan's president and the top US diplomat said on the 36th anniversary of an event Beijing treats as taboo. The events in the Beijing square on June 4, 1989, when Chinese troops opened fire to end the student-led pro-democracy protests, are not publicly discussed in China and the anniversary is not officially marked. Public commemorations now take place in overseas cities including Taipei where senior Taiwan government leaders often use the anniversary to criticise China and urge it to face up to what it did. Taiwan President Lai Ching-te, in a post on X, praised the courage of those who took part in the protests, saying human rights are a concept shared by Taiwan and other democracies that transcend generations and borders. Authoritarian regimes erase history; democracies have a duty to preserve it. Today, we remember those who marched for freedom in Tiananmen Square. Taiwan stands firm with like-minded partners on defending democracy and human rights to ensure a free society for future generations. — 賴清德Lai Ching-te (@ChingteLai) June 4, 2025 "The commemoration of the June 4 Tiananmen incident is not only to mourn history, but also to perpetuate this memory," said Lai, who Beijing detests as a "separatist" and has rejected his repeated offers of talks. "Authoritarian governments often choose to silence and forget history, while democratic societies choose to preserve the truth and refuse to forget those who gave their lives - and their dreams - to the idea of human rights," he added. "Not only do we refuse to forget history, we will implement our core values every day." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday praised the courage of the Chinese people who were killed in the bloody crackdown. "Today we commemorate the bravery of the Chinese people who were killed as they tried to exercise their fundamental freedoms, as well as those who continue to suffer persecution as they seek accountability and justice for the events of June 4, 1989," Rubio said in a statement."The CCP actively tries to censor the facts, but the world will never forget," he said, referring to the Chinese Communist Party. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Before dawn on June 4, 1989, Chinese tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square, crushing weeks of pro-democracy demonstrations by students and workers. China has never provided a death toll, but rights groups and witnesses say the figure could run into thousands. China blamed the protests on counter-revolutionaries seeking to overthrow the ruling Communist Party. In Hong Kong, where thousands used to gather to mark the anniversary before China's imposition of a national security law in 2020, security was tight around Victoria Park, the site of the previous mass candlelight vigils. Hong Kong's leader John Lee said on Tuesday police would take stringent enforcement actions against any acts endangering national security.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- General
- Straits Times
We will never forget Tiananmen crackdown, Taiwan and US say on 36th anniversary
Police patrol outside the entrance of a fair at Victoria Park in Hong Kong's on June 3, 2025, where people traditionally gathered annually on June 4 to mourn the victims of China's Tiananmen Square crackdown. PHOTO: AFP We will never forget Tiananmen crackdown, Taiwan and US say on 36th anniversary TAIPEI - The world will never forget China's 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators in Tiananmen Square, Taiwan's president Lai Ching-te and the top US diplomat said on the 36th anniversary of an event Beijing treats as taboo and allows no public remembrance. The events on and around the central Beijing square on June 4, 1989, when Chinese troops opened fire to end the student-led pro-democracy protests, are not publicly discussed in China and the anniversary is not officially marked. Public commemorations take place in overseas cities including Taipei where senior Taiwan government leaders often use the anniversary to criticise China and urge it to face up to what it did. Mr Lai, in a post on Facebook on June 4, praised the courage of those who took part in the protests, saying human rights are a concept shared by Taiwan and other democracies that transcend generations and borders. 'The commemoration of the June 4 Tiananmen incident is not only to mourn history, but also to perpetuate this memory,' said Mr Lai, who Beijing detests as a 'separatist' and has rejected his repeated offers of talks. 'Authoritarian governments often choose to silence and forget history, while democratic societies choose to preserve the truth and refuse to forget those who gave their lives - and their dreams - to the idea of human rights,' he added. 'Not only do we refuse to forget history, we will implement our core values every day.' US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on June 3 praised the courage of the Chinese people who were killed in the bloody crackdown. 'Today we commemorate the bravery of the Chinese people who were killed as they tried to exercise their fundamental freedoms, as well as those who continue to suffer persecution as they seek accountability and justice for the events of June 4, 1989,' Mr Rubio said in a statement. 'The CCP actively tries to censor the facts, but the world will never forget,' he said, referring to the Chinese Communist Party. China's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Security tight in Hong Kong Before dawn on June 4, 1989, Chinese tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square, crushing weeks of pro-democracy demonstrations by students and workers. China has never provided a full death toll, but rights groups and witnesses say the figure could run into thousands. China blamed the protests on counter-revolutionaries seeking to overthrow the ruling Communist Party. The Tiananmen Mothers, which represents relatives of those killed, put out this week their annual statement calling for a public accounting of what happened. 'The executioners of that year have passed away one after another, but as the continuation of the ruling party, the current government has a responsibility to respond to and address the Tiananmen Massacre,' Madam Zhang Xianling, whose son Wang Nan was killed, said in a video message. In Hong Kong, where thousands used to gather to mark the anniversary before China's imposition of a national security law in 2020, security was tight around Victoria Park, the site of the previous mass candlelight vigils. Hong Kong's leader John Lee said on June 3 police would take stringent enforcement actions against any acts endangering national security. A performance artist was forced to leave the vicinity of the park and a shop selling small white candles was raided by customs officials on June 3. One jailed pro-democracy activist, Chow Hang-tung, is staging a 36- hour hunger strike in prison to mark the anniversary. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Marco Rubio praises bravery of Chinese people killed in Tiananmen Square crackdown
Mr Marco Rubio said the CCP actively tries to censor the facts, but the world will never forget. PHOTO: REUTERS WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on June 3 praised the bravery of the Chinese people who were killed in a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters at Tiananmen Square in Beijing 36 years ago. "Today we commemorate the bravery of the Chinese people who were killed as they tried to exercise their fundamental freedoms, as well as those who continue to suffer persecution as they seek accountability and justice for the events of June 4, 1989," Mr Rubio said in a statement. "The CCP actively tries to censor the facts, but the world will never forget," he said, referring to the Chinese Communist Party. The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. Chinese tanks rolled into the square before dawn on June 4, 1989, and troops opened fire to end weeks of pro-democracy demonstrations by students and workers. The ruling Communist Party has never released a death toll, though rights groups and witnesses say the figure could run into the thousands. The events are a taboo topic in China and the anniversary is not marked or publicly discussed, although public commemorations take place annually in overseas cities. "Their courage in the face of certain danger reminds us that the principles of freedom, democracy, and self-rule are not just American principles. They are human principles the CCP cannot erase," Mr Rubio said. The statement from the US' top diplomat comes at a rocky time in the US -China relationship. Since beginning his second White House term on January 20, US President Donald Trump has unleashed 145 per cent tariffs on most Chinese goods over what his administration sees as decades of trade abuses by China. Beijing responded with its own 125 per cent tariffs on US products. Officials from the two sides agreed in Geneva to dial back the triple-digit tariffs for 90 days, but have yet to address the underlying reasons for Mr Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods, mainly longstanding US complaints about China's state-dominated, export-driven economic model. Senior US officials have said this week that Mr Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping would speak soon to iron out trade issues, including a dispute over critical minerals and China's restrictions on exports of certain minerals. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a regular news briefing on June 3 the Trump administration "is actively monitoring China's compliance with the Geneva trade agreement," and added that "there will be a leader-to-leader talk very soon." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Black America Web
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Black America Web
U.S. to Aggressively Revoke Visas for Chinese Students
Source: The Washington Post / Getty Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday that the U.S. will begin aggressively revoking visas for Chinese students as part of a broader effort to tighten national security and safeguard intellectual property. 'Under President Donald Trump's leadership, the U.S. State Department will work with the Department of Homeland Security to aggressively revoke visas for Chinese students, including those with connections to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in critical fields,' Rubio wrote in a statement. The State Department will also revise its visa criteria to increase scrutiny for all future applications from individuals in China and Hong Kong. The move follows the introduction of the Stop CCP VISAs Act in March by House Republicans, aimed at blocking perceived infiltration by the Chinese Communist Party in academic institutions. Rubio also revealed new visa restrictions targeting foreign nationals accused of aiding efforts to censor Americans, calling the policy a step toward defending free speech and U.S. sovereignty. Source: FOX NEWS SEE ALSO U.S. to Aggressively Revoke Visas for Chinese Students was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
