Press Release

Today, Representatives Ami Bera (CA-07) and Andy Levin (MI-09), Chair and Vice Chair of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released the following statement on the 33^rd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests and massacre in China:

"Thirty-three years ago, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began a systematic crackdown to crush peaceful demonstrators who dared to call for basic freedoms and democratic reform in cities across the country, most famously by deploying People's Liberation Army troops and tanks in Beijing. We honor the memories of those lost on that fateful day and in subsequent weeks by standing in solidarity with the families and friends of those killed, as well those who continue to suffer for their fight to mourn the Tiananmen Square massacre victims in public.

"Today, the fight for human rights in China and the need to resist global rising authoritarianism remains as urgent as ever.

"The CCP continues to censor information and discussions about the Tiananmen Square massacre and has expanded its assault on democratic institutions in Hong Kong, which had traditionally been the only place on Chinese territory where Tiananmen Square could be commemorated. Now, such gatherings have been officially defined as illegal.

"In Xinjiang, the CCP perpetrates genocide against Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities, who are detained in so-called ‘education camps' as part of the CCP's broader Sinicization effort. In Tibet, the Chinese government continues to target the Tibetan people's culture, language, and heritage, and detains journalists who dare to speak out.

"The international community must redouble efforts to spotlight these abuses and exert pressure on Chinese officials to end these violations. The United States must lead this fight by example, strengthening our own democratic institutions, ensuring our model of global development includes strong labor and environmental standards and being consistent in calling out human rights abuses that threaten international peace and security, wherever and by whomever they are committed.

"Let's remember and honor the lives lost in Tiananmen in 1989 and Xinjiang today by working that much harder towards securing true freedom for all."