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Dharamshala, India – Tibetan activists in Dharamshala commemorated the 34th anniversary of the pro-democracy protests that took place in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, on June 4, 1989, and expressed their solidarity with them. The activists urged world leaders and the international community to support the victims of the Chinese Communist Party and call on China to respect human rights in Tibet and China.

Members of Students for a Free Tibet gathered to commemorate and pay tribute to the victims of the pro-democracy demonstration in Tiananmen Square, which was squashed by the Chinese People's Liberation Army with indiscriminate gunfire, resulting in the loss of countless lives on June 4, 2023.

In the spring of 1989, students, democracy activists and workers gathered in Tiananmen Square and other Chinese cities to call for greater political freedom and responsible government, through peaceful demonstrations. Their aspirations were rooted in the fundamental values of freedom of expression and the pursuit of democracy.

A dialogue was demanded between Chinese government representatives and student representatives in order to reach a consensus at that time. In all, three sessions took place between the representatives, without any significant result. As a result, the pro-democracy protest that began on April 15, 1989 ended on June 4, 1989, when military troops violently repressed the demonstrators occupying the central districts of Beijing.

Every year, a tribute is paid to the unshakeable courage of those who continue to resist China's draconian regime. Students for a Free Tibet and the National Democratic Party of Tibet, accompanied by renowned Tibetan activist Tenzin Tsundue, commemorated the 34th anniversary of the pro-democracy protests, or Tiananmen Square event, in Dharamshala on June 4, 2023.

The activists urged the international community not only to show that it will never forget the atrocities of the past, but also to oppose the blatant disregard for fundamental human rights.

The Tibetan activists call on governments to join together to call on China to;

“Respect the rights to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly, and cease the harassment and arbitrary detention of individuals who challenge the official account of June 4;

“Allow immediate and unfettered independent access to China, Tibet and Uyghur areas by independent international human rights experts, including the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and relevant UN Special Rapporteurs;

“Immediately release all individuals subjected to unlawful and unjustified deprivation of liberty.”