[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 83 (Thursday, June 4, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S6180]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING TIANANMEN SQUARE

  Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, today marks a somber anniversary. Twenty 
years ago today, months of peaceful protests throughout China 
culminated with the violent deaths of hundreds, if not thousands, of 
Chinese citizens advocating for democratic reforms. It is with sadness 
that we mark this occasion, but it is also an opportunity to renew our 
call for political reform in the People's Republic of China.
  One of the first things you see when you walk into my office is a 
large poster depicting the iconic image of a lone man staring down a 
line of Chinese tanks. This image has come to symbolize the worldwide 
struggle for democracy, the rule of law, and the promotion of basic 
human rights. Unfortunately, a generation of students in China can't 
identify the image or tell you about the events leading up to June 3 
and 4, 1989. This is because China has failed to acknowledge or account 
for the actions that led up to this event.
  While the intervening years since the tragedy have seen China grow 
into a rapidly developing country, economically intertwined with the 
rest of the world, China's failure to deal with the Tiananmen events 
prevents the nation from making the political reforms necessary to 
truly become a respected member of the international community.
  In the years following Tiananmen, leaders of the Communist Party of 
China including Jiang Zemin, declared, ``If we had not taken absolute 
measures at the time, we would not have the stability we enjoy today. A 
bad thing has turned out to be good.'' General Chi Haotian, the General 
in charge of the People's Liberation Army's response to the protest 
later stated that, ``I can tell you in a responsible and serious manner 
that at that time not a single person lost his life in Tiananmen 
Square.'' Leaders of the military crackdown such as Deng Xiaoping and 
Li Peng, have never been held accountable for the actions of the 
People's Liberation Army and there has never been an official 
acknowledgement of the number of protesters killed or put in prison. 
Some accounts have claimed that more than 20,000 people were 
arbitrarily arrested and held without trial. A number of these people 
remain in prison today.
  Today would have been a landmark occasion for the Chinese government 
to announce that they were starting an independent and open 
investigation relating to the events of June 4, 1989. However, other 
than checkpoints set up in Tiananmen Square and efforts by the Chinese 
government to prevent international media outlets from filming in the 
square, there are no signs that today is anything other than an 
ordinary day in China.
  While the events of 20 years ago by the Chinese government launched a 
coordinated effort to prevent further unrest, it also helped 
crystallize a movement that continues today. Democracy advocates in 
China have built upon the legacy of Tiananmen and have led various 
efforts to force accountability and political reforms. All who watch 
China applaud the tireless work of Ding Zilin, the leader of Tiananmen 
Mothers, Liu Xiaobo and the rest of Charter 08, as well as countless 
others such as Jiang Qisheng who continue to face intimidation and 
imprisonment, yet persist with their cause.
  They can rest assured that ultimately their efforts will be 
successful. Today's world is increasingly interconnected. Communication 
and travel have gotten easier, and with the development of the 
internet, despite censorship efforts, information is becoming more 
readily available to the Chinese people. Every day it becomes more 
difficult for the Chinese government to keep its people in the dark. 
They will find out about Tiananmen, they will find out about how the 
outside world operates, they will demand changes at home.

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