Right activists urge release of Tiananmen activists

Tens of thousands of human rights activists around the world on Wednesday showing their solidarity to the victims of Tiananmen Protests or the 1989 June Fourth Movement of China voiced for the release of detained freedom fighters. The Chinese democracy movement was fiercely suppressed by the Chinese authority and this day marks the 15th anniversary of fierce crackdown.

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Hundreds of protestors were killed and more were thrown into Chinese prison following grossly unfair trails. There are many people who are still serving jail terms in connection with the event either participating or only for question he government action in 1989.

Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific director, Sam Zarifi, in a strong note said that there is absolutely no excuse for the Chinese government to still detain these people after 19 years of the incident.

The recent March 10 Tibet uprising and the military action against the Tibetans, too sends a perfect picture of human rights situation in China and such incidents only reflects a distressful account of human rights abuse in a nation that is going to host the Olympic Games, a symbol of peace and international unity.

The Tiananmen Square Massacre 1989 reminds a series of demonstrations led by labour activists and students against the authoritarianism and polices of ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and for the cause of a democratic reform and the following, but the bloody military crackdown ended with hundreds of death and arrest.

But after 19 years of the event there is no such improvement in human rights and several leaders are still under house arrest. According to US-based Dui Hua Foundation between 60 and 100 prisoners are still in jail for offences committed during the protests, though the exact number may go high without the availability of actual government figure.

Amnesty International said “China has promised human rights improvements in the run up to the Olympics. Releasing the Tiananmen activists, bringing justice to the relatives of those killed and allowing for public mourning and commemoration for the victims will go a long way towards establishing a positive human rights legacy for the Games.”

“The Chinese government should support and protect the families of those who died in the Tiananmen crackdown, instead of harassing them for years. It’s time for China to come to grips with this tragedy and begin the process of accountability and healing the wounds.”

To worlds’ reason Chinese government certainly needs to take some positive measures and stop harassing, discriminating the families of the victim and release the people arrested and detained in connection to the 1989 movement considering the length of time they have spent in prison.