China’s Canadian Embassy issued a statement commemorating the June 4th massacre in Beijing’s largest public square, where the government severely suppressed a student-led democratic movement over 30 years ago.
Global Affairs Canada also calls it a “violent crackdown” that marks the 36th anniversary of the massacre, killing “many armed and peaceful citizens.”
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“Even if the world watched brutal broadcasts live, the communist government tried to suppress the truth about their massacre,” Poliebre said in a June 4 statement.
“They have never shown any regrets and their oppressive tactics continue to be used today,” he added. “We must not let them win a denial of their history.”
The US government also celebrated the 36th anniversary of the massacre, saying that “CCP is actively trying to censor the facts,” but the world “will never forget.”
“Their courage in the face of certain dangers reminds us that the principles of freedom, democracy and self-center are not American principles,” he added. “These are human principles that CCPs cannot erase.”
To date, China’s communist regime has not revealed the number or identity of those killed in the massacre.
The new generation is not aware
Cheuk Kwan, co-chair of China’s Toronto Democracy Association, says Beijing’s efforts to censor information about the 1989 massacre has led to a new generation of China not realising the incident.
“The world was terrified 36 years ago, and the Chinese government wants to curb that information,” he told the Epoch Times, noting that the administration uses censorship methods, such as internet silence and media control.
“Many people from generation to generation don’t even know that this existed.”
He said, “We must fulfill our dual duties not only to commemorate (these events) but also to pass the message to the next generation, so that they do not forget.
China’s Toronto Democracy Association was established in May 1989 to support student protests at Tiananmen Square and continues to defend democratic reforms in China today.
In recent years, the association has commemorated the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre along with the Hong Kong protests in 2019, saying that the oppression of democratic advocates in both cases corresponds to a “generational issue” including “oppression of both China in Beijing and present Hong Kong.”
Kwan said that while many in Western countries understand that freedom of expression “does not exist in China,” the living reality of China and Hong Kong may still feel distant from them. He added that people from other countries can still support efforts to protect the values of democracy and freedom.
“It is an obligation for all freedom-loving people to defend this principle of freedom and democracy: freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and of course, freedom to express your opinion without fear of retaliation,” he said.
Eva Fu contributed to this report.
