Congressman Chris Smith (NJ-04), House Speaker John Boehner (OH-08) and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (CA-12) teamed up today for a remembrance event of those who were killed, injured or survived the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, where Chinese government tanks and armed forces brutally attacked peaceful demonstrators.

    “This week and next, the world remembers the extraordinary sacrifice by hundreds of thousands of peaceful Chinese democracy activists who rallied on Tiananmen Square—and in over 400 cities in China—for almost two months in 1989 in their heroic quest to be free,” said Smith.  “While some may prefer to look beyond or past or even trivialize the wanton slaughter by Chinese soldiers, the memory of the dead and wounded as well as the plight of the jailed and tortured requires us to honor them, respect their noble aspirations for fundamental freedoms and recommit to the struggle.” Click here to read Congressman Smith's statement.



    Last night, Congress passed a resolution authored by Smith marking the 25^th Anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre and urging the U.S. to make support for human rights, democracy and Internet freedom higher priorities in bilateral relations with China. H.Res. 599, which passed 379-1, honors the sacrifice endured by thousands of peaceful Chinese democracy activists.

    On Friday, May 30^th Congressman Smith will also be holding a hearing on the 25^th Anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre in the House Foreign Affairs Committee.  Cong. Smith is Chair of the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations.

    H. Res. 599 expresses sympathy and support for those jailed, tortured, or killed as a result their participation in the 1989 Tiananmen demonstrations. It also urges the Chinese government to provide a full accounting of the violent suppression on June 3-4, 1989 of the demonstration and respect the freedoms of assembly, expression, and religion and all other fundamental human rights consistent with China’s obligations to uphold international law and UN treaties. The resolution also urges the U.S. government to make human rights with China a higher priority in bilateral relations by issuing a resolution on China at the U.N. Human Rights Council and taking steps to circumvent Chinese Internet censorship and provide information to the Chinese people about the Tiananmen Massacre.

    Witnesses at the May 3^0th hearing will include former student leaders in the Tiananmen demonstrations, including Chen Qinglin, who has lived in China for the past 25 years and will be speaking publicly for the first time about the pressures placed on former Tiananmen leaders and pro-democracy activists in President Xi Jinping’s China.

    “Someday, China will be free,” Smith said. “And the courage, valor, vision and tenacity of the Tiananmen Square activists—and all those who bravely struggled for freedom—will someday be celebrated in Beijing.” Click here to read Cong. Smith's remarks.

    Smith is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and co-chair of theU.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China.  Click here to read Smith’s statement about recent arrests in China related to the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre.