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“All human beings are born free and equal

in dignity and rights.”

- Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Tiananmen at 30: Examining the Evolution of Repression in China

Date: 
Tuesday, June 4, 2019 - 10:00am
Location: 
2172 Rayburn House Office Building

Announcement

Please join the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) and the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (TLHRC) for a congressional hearing hosted by the House Foreign Affairs Committee titled “Tiananmen at 30: Examining the Evolution of Repression in China.”

In 1989, citizens in China from all walks of life participated in demonstrations that swept throughout the country including Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The peaceful demonstrators called upon the Chinese government to eliminate corruption, accelerate economic and political reform, and protect human rights, particularly the freedoms of expression and assembly. The government's violent suppression of the demonstrations, its ongoing censorship of any public discussion of Tiananmen and the failure to allow a public accounting of what happened in June 1989, have had far-reaching consequences for Chinese society and U.S.-China relations. On the 30th anniversary of the pro-democracy protests, the hearing will review the events in China in 1989, the aspirations of the “Tiananmen generation,” and the censorship and lack of accountability by the Chinese government. Witnesses will also examine the ways the legacy of Tiananmen has contributed to the evolution of repression in China under the leadership of President Xi Jinping and offer recommendations on how U.S. policy can effectively support the people of China.  

The hearing will be open to Members of Congress, congressional staff, the interested public, and the media. The hearing will be livestreamed via the CECC YouTube channel and will also be available for viewing on the House Digital Channel service. For any questions, please contact Kimberly Stanton at 202-225-3599 or Kimberly.Stanton@mail.house.gov (for Co-Chair McGovern) or Piero Tozzi at 202-225-3765 or Piero.Tozzi@mail.house.gov (for Co-Chair Smith).  

Convened by:

Rep. James P. McGovern
Co-Chair, TLHRC
​Chair, CECC
Sen. Marco Rubio
Co-Chair, CECC
Rep. Christopher H. Smith
​Co-Chair, TLHRC
Commissioner, CECC

Opening Remarks

Witnesses

Panel I

  • Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Panel II

  • Wu’er Kaixi, Tiananmen student leader and Founder, Friends of Liu Xiaobo
    Written testimony
  • Fengsuo Zhou, Tiananmen student leader and Co-Founder and President, Humanitarian China
    Written testimony
  • Mi Ling Tsui, Communications Director, Human Rights in China
    Written testimony
  • Carl Minzner, Professor, Fordham Law School
    Written testimony
  • Shanthi Kalathil, Director, International Forum for Democratic Studies, National Endowment for Democracy
    Written testimony

Video 

116th Congress