VOC Remembers the Victims of the Tiananmen Square Massacre

35 years ago today, on June 4, 1989, the Chinese Communist Party crushed a massive pro-democracy movement by sending tanks into Tiananmen Square. Beijing has since erased all mention of June 4 from its history. We still do not know the death toll. 

VOC honored the legacy of those brave individuals who stood for freedom at our annual Tiananmen Square Massacre candlelight vigil. Attended by over 150 people, the commemoration featured Chinese dissidents and leaders of the Hong Kong, Uyghur, and Tibetan communities. Speakers included:

Gordon Chang, Columnist, Newsweek; TV commentator
Chen Guangcheng, Distinguished Fellow, Center for Human Rights at Catholic University
Tsultrim Gyatso, Chinese Liaison Officer, Office of Tibet
Frances Hui, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation
Elfidar Iltebir, President, Uyghur American Association
Anna Kwok, Executive Director, Hong Kong Democracy Council
Eric Patterson, Ph.D., President and CEO, Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation
Piero Tozzi, Staff Director, Congressional Executive Committee on China
Spencer Wolf, Stand with Hong Kong
David Yu, Executive Director, June 4^th Massacre Memorial Association

35 years after the Tiananmen Square Massacre, the free world still has a solemn duty to stand with the victims. As VOC President and CEO Dr. Eric Patterson writes in WORLD, “What we do know on this 35th anniversary of the massacre, the regime of President Xi Jinping has become more aggressive and less free over time. Xi and the CCP have broken the customary relationship with Hong Kong, cracked down on dissent, and installed a technologically sophisticated surveillance state. They continue to repress religious minorities including Tibetan Buddhists, Christians, Falun Gong, and the Uyghur Muslim minority.”

Today, we must remember the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Will you join us?