Risch Recognizes the Tiananmen Square Anniversary and Honors Its Continued Legacy

BOISE, Idaho – Today, U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, gave the following statement in recognition of the 32nd  anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre:

“Thirty-two years ago, hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens gathered in Tiananmen Square to call for democracy, free speech, and a free press in China. These protestors – many of whom were students and young professionals – risked their lives with the hope of life in a free China. Instead, they were met with the brutality and violence committed by thousands of People’s Liberation Army troops. Today, we honor all these brave citizens of China, and the legacy of those who tragically lost their lives on this day in 1989.

“We still do not know the true number of people who were murdered in this massacre. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has gone to great lengths to erase the Tiananmen massacre from China’s history including through online censorship, and to this day continues to oppress and punish those in China and Hong Kong who honor the protestors and their fight for democracy.

“As the CCP continues down its path of repression and silencing of dissent, we each must do our part to keep the truth about, and legacy of, the Tiananmen Square Massacre alive. The events of Tiananmen must continue to be a call to action for the United States and its allies and partners to serve as champions for freedom and democracy, as well as their defenders.”

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