35 years after the Tiananmen Square incident, the voices of the bereaved are being suppressed

Tuesday marks the 35th anniversary of China’s deadly crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

Under President Xi Jinping, the authorities have tightened their control and strictly suppressed the bereaved families’ demands to find out the truth about the incident.

On June 4, 1989, Chinese troops opened fire on students and others who had gathered in and around the square to demand democracy. The Chinese government says 319 people were killed, but some say the number is much higher.

A group of relatives of the victims, calling themselves “Tiananmen Mothers,” published a statement signed by 114 people on their website in May.

The message called on the government to disclose the number and names of the victims, compensate the victims and their families, and take legal responsibility for the incident.

The Chinese public cannot read the online statement because access to it is restricted in the country.

In China, it is taboo to discuss the incident publicly. The government claims that the incident was a “riot” and that it made the right decision.

The family group had originally planned to hold a memorial service at a member’s home to mark the 35th anniversary, but due to strict surveillance by the authorities, they had to abandon the plan.