Turn Spotlight on China’s Season of Dark Memories

Summer in China evokes dark memories of past Chinese Communist Party crackdowns. This June and July, millions of Chinese who lived through these traumatic events can only commemorate them in secrecy. China’s government crushes any public observances that challenge official narratives of the party’s rule. The United States should not let China’s communist leadership get away with its cover-up.

The season began on June 4 with the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protest, widely known by the iconic photo of a young man standing his ground before a military tank. The People’s Liberation Army killed at least 10,000 pro-democracy demonstrators then, according to declassified British documents. Thousands more were imprisoned. The Western NGO, Chinese Human Rights Defenders, documents 27 democracy advocates currently jailed over Tiananmen, many for simply “sustaining its memory.”

About the Author

Nina Shea

Nina Shea is director of Hudson Institute’s Center for Religious Freedom and author of the new report “Ten Persecuted Catholic Bishops in China”

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Summer in China evokes dark memories of past Chinese Communist Party crackdowns. This June and July, millions of Chinese who lived through these traumatic events can only commemorate them in secrecy. China’s government crushes any public observances that challenge official narratives of the party’s rule. The United States should not let China’s communist leadership get away with its cover-up.

The season began on June 4 with the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protest, widely known by the iconic photo of a young man standing his ground before a military tank. The People’s Liberation Army killed at least 10,000 pro-democracy demonstrators then, according to declassified British documents. Thousands more were imprisoned. The Western NGO, Chinese Human Rights Defenders, documents 27 democracy advocates currently jailed over Tiananmen, many for simply “sustaining its memory.”