On the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre, U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has issued a statement calling on government leaders to “examine openly the darker events of its past.”
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a statement saying the 20th anniversary of the “violent suppression of demonstrations in Tiananmen Square by Chinese authorities” should be a time for reflection on the loss of hundreds of innocent lives and the meaning of events that preceded that fateful day.
“A China that has made enormous progress economically, and that is emerging to take its rightful place in global leadership, should examine openly the darker events of its past and provide a public accounting of those killed, detained or missing, both to learn and to heal,” she said.
Clinton urged Beijing to release prisoners still serving sentences in connection with events surrounding the crackdown, cease harassment of participants in the demonstrations and begin a dialogue with family members of victims.
See also perspectives from Voice of America, the Washington Times, and Reuters.
