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Cardin, Rubio, Merkley Introduce Bipartisan Resolution Commemorating 35th Anniversary of Tiananmen Square Massacre

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with Senators Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), introduced a bipartisan resolution commemorating the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. The resolution also condemns the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) widespread use of repression and transnational repression against its citizens and activists, as well as its systematic efforts to undermine human rights norms within the United Nations system. This week, Chair Cardin wrote an opinion piece for Fox News honoring the heroes that stood for liberty, dignity, and the right to self-expression during these historic protests.

“Today, we commemorate the individuals who were killed or injured by PRC authorities during pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square 35 years ago,” said Chair Cardin. “While the PRC’s government tries to erase the events of June 4, 1989, not only in China but around the globe, it will never silence the memory of those who bravely protested for their country’s human rights. The United States and the international community reaffirm our commitment to supporting the aspirations of the Chinese people, accountability for the PRC’s human rights abuses at home and abroad, and countering the PRC’s cynical attempts to redefine human rights in favor of state power. I am proud to have bipartisan support in the introduction of this resolution and reaffirm the United States’ unwavering support for the Chinese people and those who stand up to tyranny and injustice.”

“As we commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, we reaffirm our commitment to justice and accountability for the countless victims of communist oppression,” said Senator Rubio. “The regime in China will not be able to erase their memory. Their valor and sacrifice will never be forgotten.”

“As we mark the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, we honor all peoples struggling for their fundamental freedoms through peaceful protest,” said Senator Merkley. “This resolution sends a strong, bipartisan message to the Chinese government that history cannot be erased, and the desire for basic human rights and dignity is universal. We pledge to remember the Tiananmen Square massacre in the U.S. Congress while we work toward a future where the aspirations of those killed and violently suppressed on June 4, 1989, can finally be realized, in China and around the world.”

Among its provisions, the bipartisan resolution:

  • Honors the courageous individuals whose lives were lost on June 4, as well as the family members, activists, and others who continue to seek truth, justice, and accountability;

  • Calls on the PRC to cease censoring information about Tiananmen Square Massacre and allow for investigation into the events that transpired on June 4;

  • Highlights the PRC’s ongoing human rights abuses against its own citizens through its draconian systems of control and repression, its particularly egregious treatment of Tibetan and Uyghur communities, and its decimation of fundamental freedoms for the people of Hong Kong;

  • Decries the rising trend of PRC transnational repression targeting Chinese diaspora groups and others; and

  • Expresses alarm regarding PRC attempts to undermine and redefine human rights norms in the UN and other multilateral fora; and

  • Calls on the United States government to continue advocating for the release of PRC political prisoners, holding PRC officials accountable for their human rights abuses, and pushing back on PRC attempts to rewrite international human rights law within the UN.

Find a copy of the resolution HERE.

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