The United States Department of State has reiterated that "no censorship can erase the past" on the 37th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, which occurred in 1989 in the emblematic square in the center of Beijing, where hundreds of people lost their lives during a wave of protests led by Chinese students.
In a statement released on the occasion of the anniversary, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio remarked that "the world commemorates 37 years since the Chinese Communist Party ordered its troops to attack thousands of peaceful protesters in and around Tiananmen Square. The Chinese students, workers, and other civilians who lost their lives had gathered to exercise their natural rights and demand democratic reforms and accountability for corruption. We remember their lives and honor their legacy."
The note from U.S. diplomacy emphasizes that "no censorship can erase the past," thus alluding to the lack of transparency from Chinese authorities regarding the repression carried out by security forces at that time.
The statement adds that "those who sacrificed themselves to defend their inalienable rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly will one day be vindicated." Every June 4th, the massacre is remembered, despite Beijing's reticence, a stance that continues to generate international criticism due to its refusal to address the consequences of those events.