Amnesty International on Wednesday condemned China for banning family members from visiting the cemetery of people who perished in the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown. This is the first time in 37 years that the Chinese authorities have banned the visit.
According to the Tiananmen Mothers, the Chinese authorities notified family members of people who lost their lives in the Tiananmen crackdown that they cannot travel to Beijing’s Wan’an Cemetery and conduct any commemoration in the cemetery on June 2. Sarah Brooks, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director, described the ban as “heartless,” saying:
The Tiananmen Mothers were not previously blocked from cemetery visits on the 4 June anniversary, and it is deeply troubling that this year the suppression of Tiananmen commemoration appears to be escalating–reflecting the government’s deep-seated insecurity about people’s demands for accountability.
Ahead of the anniversary, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement commemorating the Chinese civilians who lost their lives for exercising their right to peaceful assembly. He said in the statement: “No amount of censorship can erase the past.” Foreign embassies in China, including the UK, Canada and Australia, made similar social media posts to support survivors and families of civilians who lost their lives in the crackdown.
In a press conference on June 4, Mao Ning, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accused Rubio of distorting historical facts, smearing the Chinese political system and interfering in China’s internal affairs.
In Monday’s release, Human Rights Watch (HRW) also reported China’s intensifying efforts to quell commemorative activities. This includes preventing a gathering of the Tiananmen mothers in December 2025, which has never happened since the group started meeting in 2009. HRW urges the Chinese authorities to permit an independent public inquiry and respect the right to free speech and peaceful assembly.
The Tiananmen Mothers is a group of Chinese activists who are also family and friends of people who lost their lives in the 1989 crackdown. In May, the group urged the Chinese authorities to disclose the full truth of the crackdown, provide compensation for the victims and their families, and hold all responsible parties accountable.
On this day 37 years ago, troops and tanks entered forcefully and cleared Tiananmen Square, where unarmed protesters, mostly students, gathered to commemorate the death of liberal Communist Party leader Hu Yaobang, and call for political and economic reforms. The Chinese Communist Party considered it a “political turmoil” between April and June 1989, which “Western hostile forces” instigated to counter socialism and the party.
Detained Hong Kong activist Chow Hang-tung has also begun a 37-hour hunger strike in jail. She has been in custody since September 2021. She is currently facing a charge of “incitement to subvert the state power,” with judgment expected in July. The prosecution has included footage of the annual candlelight vigils as evidence in the trial.