WASHINGTON, D.C. - It's been 19 years since the Chinese communist regime sent troops and tanks to crush the democracy dreams of hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens.
To commemorate the June 4th anniversary, several Congress Members, including the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, spoke in the Upper Senate Park across from the U.S. Capitol next to the Russell Senate Office Building. They were joined by victims of the regime, human rights advocates and clergy.
Keeping alive the memory of those who are still incarcerated and abused in Chinese prisons was the main theme repeated by the various speakers.
"We can never forget the images of the bullets and tanks unleashed on innocent civilians on Tiananmen Square," said Florida Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen. To "pay tribute to the martyrs of Tiananmen," said Speaker Pelosi, "we call for the release of all political prisoners in China." Speaker Pelosi read the names of several persons imprisoned for "crimes," such as writing an article disliked by the regime, and added that there were other persons she could have named as well.
"To the extent we know the names of these victims in China, we will continue to recite them in public," said Pelosi.
Also, commemorating the event was a 500 mile "citizen" walk from Boston to Washington, from May 4 to June 4, by Dr. Yang Jianli, who walked into the park around 11:00 a.m. with an entourage of supporters and well-wishers. On their banner read: "Citizen Power."
Dr. Yang spent five years as a political prisoner in China. An international outcry, including a UN resolution and resolutions of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives helped bring about his release in April 2007. In appreciation for the support he received while in prison, Dr. Yang expressed his gratitude to the American people and promoted the cause of democracy in China by a "GongMin Walk of Thanks and Remembrance."
GongMin is Chinese for "Citizen."
Dr. Yang founded "Initiatives for China," a coalition of pro-democracy and human rights groups, that advocates a peaceful transition to democracy. "Initiatives for China" took the lead in organizing this commemoration event.
A survivor of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, Dr. Yang, is a talented young man as he holds two doctorates—in mathematics from U.C. Berkeley and in political economy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He likened the process of China becoming democratic and respectful of human rights to his 500 mile "citizen" walk: take one step, followed by another, and then another step, and another, and so on.
Representative Chris Smith from New Jersey called for "the release of upwards of 200 Tiananmen Square prisoners," who are "still not free and languishing in prison." The congressman's indignation at the Chinese communist authorities for still holding innocent demonstrators after 19 years was particularly palpable.
Congressman Smith had been to Beijing prison #1 in 1991 with Congressman Frank Wolf, and spoke of his horror at the time of seeing the Tiananmen Square demonstrators with their heads shaved, just like in the Nazi concentration camps. They were made to work long grueling hours, said Rep. Smith. They "are still behind bars," he said, for advocating freedom and democracy in China.
"The Universal Declaration of Human Rights isn't just for Americans…but for everyone, and that includes Beijing and China," charged Rep. Smith.
"To this day, the Chinese [regime] has never provided a full and true account of this event," said the program notes for the event. The program also said that the mothers of the victims of the Tiananmen Square Massacre are petitioning the Chinese regime to provide a full accounting of what happened on June 4th, 1989—an action sure to be unwelcome by the regime.
One person who could never forget Tiananmen Square massacre is Ti-Anna Wang. She was born in the same year of 1989 and her parents named her after Tiananmen Square to "pay tribute to all the victims" and "to celebrate the hope the movement brought," she said.
Ms. Wang though has a still deeper, more personal reason for remembering. Her father, Dr. Bing Zhang Wang, is currently serving a life sentence as a political prisoner. Dr. Wang was the founder of China's pro-democracy movement abroad. When he traveled to Vietnam to meet with Chinese labor activists in June 2001, he was kidnapped and brought to China, and after a one hour trial where no evidence or witnesses were presented, he was sentenced to life imprisonment in solitary confinement for terrorism and espionage. The daughter related at the commemoration his serious medical condition and the psychological toll it has taken on him from the solitary confinement.
Other speakers stressed the importance of not being distracted by China's economic progress and holding of the Olympics.
"China even today is the leading abuser of human rights, and enables human rights abuses in many countries around the world," said Kansas Senator Sam Brownback.
"We here today cannot let the bright gleam of the Olympic gold blind us to the dark shadows cast by the heavy chains which holds today's China in bondage," said Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen.
Senator Brownback exhorted the crowd to "not give up." Winning one's freedom takes time, he said. "Because people fought back, people are free," he said. Recalling the unknown man at Tiananmen Square who stepped forward before the tank, Brownback said, "Be the lone voice in front of the tank!"
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