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PRESS RELEASE: WUC Commemorates Tiananmen Square Democracy Protestors on 29th Anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre

PRESS RELEASE: WUC Commemorates Tiananmen Square Democracy Protestors on 29th Anniversary of the Tiananmen Massacre

World Uyghur Congress, 4 June 2018

Today marks the 29th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, where thousands of Chinese protestors were brutally suppressed for holding demonstrations calling for democracy and for their basic human rights to be respected. Students, teachers, activists and civilians were among those killed with estimates ranging from hundreds to ten thousand merely for exercising their right to freedom of assembly and calling for democracy.

Twenty nine years later the attitude of the Chinese government has only hardened towards dissent. Any expression of dissent, any calls to have some meaningful representation in government and any calls for basic human rights are quickly and mercilessly quashed. Calls for reform have been ignored and the future of China looks more dangerous and uncertain than ever before.

The WUC honors the memory of all those demonstrators, especially those who lost their lives striving for democracy and human rights. These are ideals that the Uyghurs, Tibetans, Southern Mongolians and many Chinese people have been striving for. During the Democracy Movement demonstrations, Uyghurs also protested in East Turkistan in support of the demonstrations and Uyghurs were involved in leading and organizing these protests.

We are all united in pursuing these common goals and must to do more to work in unison if we are to achieve them. In the spirit of those who participated in the democracy movement, all of us must come join together to loudly call for democracy, human rights and fundamental freedoms. Tyranny, brutally and oppression must not triumph in China and the democratic voices must not be ignored.

To commemorate the day, WUC President Dolkun Isa addressed a Symposium commemorating the 29th anniversary of the massacre, organized by Chinese activists at offices of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) in Brussels, Belgium. He informed participants of the brutal crackdown that the Uyghur people have been subjected to, merely for wanting democracy and for their basic rights to be respected.

Mr. Isa concluded his speech stating that, “Although the situation has become critical, we can never stop calling for our basic rights. We must remember all those who participated in the Democracy Movement in 1989 and keep fighting achieve this dream. We all must have hope, unity and determination if we are to improve things.”