A Memory the World Refuses to Forget: Tiananmen Square 1989

On the 36th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, Taiwan's president and U.S. diplomat commemorate the event despite Beijing's efforts to suppress its memory. The crackdown on June 4, 1989, saw Chinese troops end pro-democracy protests by force, a topic still absent from China's public discourse.

In defiance of Beijing's attempts to erase its memory, the 36th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown has been observed by Taiwan's president and a top U.S. diplomat. The 1989 event, when Chinese troops quelled student-led pro-democracy demonstrations by opening fire, remains unacknowledged in China's official history.

Public commemorations overseas, like those in Taipei, frequently see Taiwan's leaders criticize China and urge it to face up to the past. On social media, Taiwan's President lauded the brave souls who participated in the protests, asserting that human rights are a timeless value shared across democracies.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed these sentiments, honorably mentioning the Chinese people who died in the pursuit of fundamental freedoms. The Chinese Communist Party notably censors details of the 1989 event, but both Taiwanese and U.S. leaders vow never to forget the pillar of human rights underpinning their societies.