Tiananmen Mothers Urge Government Dialogue to Resolve June Fourth Massacre

Tiananmen Mothers’ Open Letter to the 5th Session of the 11th National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference

February 29, 2012

Dear NPC Representatives and CPPCC Committee Members,

This will be the final session of the five-year term of the current National People’s Congress and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

We do not want the reevaluation and just resolution of the 1989 June Fourth Massacre to be delayed indefinitely.

We have always believed that the June Fourth massacre that took place 22 years ago inflicted serious harm to the country and the people, and caused thousands of families to lose their loved ones and tens of thousands of people to be injured and become disabled. It was the most brutal atrocity to occur during the past century of peace in China. It can never be erased with the stroke of a pen by the perpetrators of the carnage, Deng Xiaoping, Li Peng, et al., who reached their “conclusion” in total disregard of facts and defiance of public opinion.

Over the past 22 years, people of all stripes from China and beyond, along with families of victims, including the Tiananmen Mothers, have called time and again for a reevaluation of June Fourth. We have demanded the repudiation of the lies that have been forced upon the 1989 Tiananmen Movement and the restoration of the truth of this great democracy movement. This is a responsibility that the people of China must not shift onto others or alter, and this is a blood debt for which our current state and government leaders must repay the people.

China's leaders have trumpeted in recent years that China is a “great nation on the rise,” that its economy is “booming,” and that it has the “second highest GDP in the world.” Do they truly think that the bloodstains of the June fourth massacre have already been wiped away by their lies and deception, and that they can brazenly play the role of the “sovereign of a major power”? There is an old Chinese saying, “The heavens see all that one does.”

All this is nothing but a display of an extreme lack of self-confidence—all bark and no bite. In today’s world, the civilized forces of the international community cannot tolerate impunity for leaders who have repressed, abused, and even massacred their own people. The state has been widely understood to be a tool to serve the people, never the other way around. No one can hide beyond national sovereignty to recklessly infringe upon human rights. Libya's Muammar Gaddafi was domineering and arrogant, but the dictator vanished in a flash. Why? Very simple: he lacked humanity and neglected human rights; he did not treat people as human beings and slaughtered them at will without blinking. Similarly, Syria’s Bashar al-Assad does not treat people as human beings and slaughters them at will without blinking—he too will not meet a good end! Are the facts unfolding right in front of our eyes not enough to cause China's leaders and the representatives and committee members attending these sessions to be vigilant and ponder?

Every country is being swept forward by the tides of globalization and pluralism—there is no turning back. Modern science and online technology change every day; the world is growing smaller; and the gaps between peoples are shrinking. All have been struck by the tide of globalization whether they like it or not. Today, there are few countries like China, Cuba, Iran, or North Korea. Even China’s paukphaw (compatriot), Myanmar, is changing—Aung San Suu Kyi too will be participating in the country’s by-election this April. This is the way the tides of the world are flowing.

We are again calling for an open and just resolution of June Fourth, something that is entwined with the unstoppable trend of the world.

Our appeal can be summarized in three parts:

1. Open a new investigation into June Fourth and publish the truth;
2. Resolve each case in accordance with the law, and provide reasonable compensation;
3. Pursue judicial accountability of those responsible for June Fourth.

Our position, in a phrase, is “legal settlement of political issues.” This is the only feasible way for the just resolution of June Fourth.

A resolution to June Fourth cannot be sought without consultation and dialogue between the government and the people. The consultation and dialogue must be equitable, open, and without any preconditions. We do not advocate any form of “private settlement” in violation of the principle of the rule of law. As innocent victims of the massacre 22 years ago, we have put everything on the table, always in good faith, sincerely, and openly and straight-forwardly. We hope that the government can be just and honorable and also put everything on the table in the same manner and not make backroom deals or use its usual tricks of differential treatment and splitting the parties concerned. Even if only eight or ten of us remain with the passage of time, we will not allow the matter to be settled unilaterally.

If you, our NPC representatives and CPPCC committee members, sincerely wish to do something for our people and country in the final year of your terms, then we fervently look forward to seeing you use the power in your hands to urge the government to open a face-to-face dialogue with the Tiananmen Mothers in order to properly resolve the June Fourth issue.

Signed,

(122 total)

In accordance with suggestions by our friends, we have decided to also include the following names of our fellow signers from previous years who have passed away, so as to respect their wishes.

(28 total)