Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The United States is "encouraging" the Chinese government to " release all those still serving sentences for their participation in the demonstrations; to provide a full public accounting of those killed, detained or missing; and to end the continued harassment of demonstration participants and their families". Mark Toner, U.S. State Department spokesman, said that Washington "recalls the violent repression" of Tiananmen Square, ordered by the Party between June 3 and 4 1989, and called on Beijing to "do more" to protect the rights human rights of its citizens. Today marks the 23rd anniversary of the massacre.
In his statements, Toner did not refer to the riots in China yesterday, when police intervened to stop human rights activists protesting in memory of the massacre of '89.
China prohibits any commemoration or mention of the massacre, but these days many Chinese have secretly converged on Hong Kong to attend the annual march organized by the Alliance in the former British colony in support of patriotic and democratic movement in China. According to Lee Cheuk-yan, president of the organization, more than 150 thousand people participated.
On the night of June 3 and 4 1989, the communist army intervened to put an end to the protests of students and killed thousands of activists and ordinary citizens. Estimates of massacre vary depending on the sources. The Chinese government has never fully disclosed what happened when the army intervened. Beijing also has never provided a credible report, nor authorized an independent inquiry into the events.