“Tiananmen Has Not Ended”: Keep Taiwan Free At The Capitol Steps

A slightly abbreviated version of this speech was delivered on June 4th, 2019, by Jenny Wang on behalf of Keep Taiwan Free at the Tiananmen Square Massacre Rally at the Capitol, remembering the 30th year since the Tiananmen Massacre on June 4th, 1989. Jenny would like to thank Dr. Hong-Tien Lai, A. Chang, Gloria Hu, and Chieh-Ting Yeh.

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Honorable Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Jim McGovern, Congressman Chris Smith, Congressman Andy Levin, distinguished guests, friends & allies–ta̍k-ke hó. My name is Jenny, and I am here on behalf of Keep Taiwan Free.

It is my absolute honor to be standing together with all of you freedom fighters here today.

Keep Taiwan Free is a coalition of grassroots activists and allies dedicated to spreading awareness about Taiwan’s exclusion from the international community, and to safeguarding human rights and democracy against the Chinese Communist Party’s aggression.

Martin Luther King Jr once wrote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

For us here today, injustice is not new to us.

Thirty years ago, thousands of innocent unarmed citizens took to the streets throughout China and in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. They were hungry for transparency, hungry for a robust democratic government, hungry for reform. They courageously challenged the Chinese Communist Party and urged for democracy, human rights and freedom.

Yet, despite the peaceful occupation in Tiananmen Square, the CCP used brutal military force to clear the demonstration. Countless were killed and injured.

To this day, the Chinese Communist Party continues to bury and censor this history. To this day, the CCP continues to deny their responsibility for this Massacre.

We are here today, 30 years later, because we continue to feel this injustice strongly. The CCP may try to erase this history, but they must remember – that they cannot erase the truth. They may try to bury and censor our voices, but they must remember – that we will not be silenced.

We call on the Chinese Communist Party for transparency and justice, and to acknowledge the Massacre of June 4th. We demand the CCP to be held accountable for the human rights infringements that continue to be committed today.

In a way, Tiananmen has not ended. It has not ended because of China’s ongoing silence about the Massacre. It has not ended because of the systematic repression against the Uyghur Muslims, and the stifling of freedoms in Tibet. It has not ended because we see the backsliding of human rights in Hong Kong, and hear the blatant lies of “one country, two systems.” It has not ended because of the continued denial of the international recognition Taiwan deserves, and the constant threat of Chinese use of force to annex Taiwan.

Tiananmen is still very much ongoing.

Secretary Pompeo wrote in a press release yesterday, “the United States had hoped that China’s integration into the international system would lead to a more open, tolerant society. Those hopes have been dashed.”

It is time for the United States, and other democratic like-minded countries, to stand with us to say “enough.” It is time for international corporations to pull their overseas operations out from China. It is time for academic institutions to say “no” to Confucius Institutes, because education and the next generation matters.

The list goes on.

In light of our collective experiences, we are here today to remember the past, but to also call attention to the current ongoing evils and to demand concrete action.

On behalf of Keep Taiwan Free, we will continue to fight with you for we know that this story – one of seeking truth, of correcting oppression, and of resistance – is also one of our own.

(Feature photo by Dee Woo)