Eighteen years after the Tiananmen massacre, impunity continues to prevail in China as media is prohibited from reporting about the incident and at least 13 ordinary civilians remain behind bars. The international community should pressure China to uphold its commitment to improve its human rights record prior to the 2008 Olympics and establish the rule of law as a means to put an end to the culture of impunity in China.
Eighteen years after the Tiananmen massacre, impunity continues to prevail in China as media is prohibited from reporting about the incident and at least 13 ordinary civilians remain behind bars. The international community should pressure China to uphold its commitment to improve its human rights record prior to the 2008 Olympics and establish the rule of law as a means to put an end to the culture of impunity in China.
While tens of thousands of people gathered in Hong Kong for a candle light vigil marking the 18th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen massacre on June 4th, the silence in mainland China shed light upon the sad reality that the democracy and human rights that these ordinary civilians sacrificed their lives for 18 years ago still remain to be achieved in present times.
In June of 1989, as part of its ongoing fight for democracy, Chinese students, intellectuals and activists gathered in Tiananmen Square to peacefully protest for political reforms and better media freedom . The Chinese government turned its tanks against its own people and blindly shot all those who were present in Tiananmen starting on June 3, 1989 -even killing their own soldiers in the process.1
As the 2008 Olympics games approaches, the international community is drawing more of its attention on the human rights violations occurring within China. China on the other hand has been playing a double game – making efforts to “show” the world that they are promoting human rights and ensuring better media freedom while in the meantime intensifying the censorship of media and increasing the number of crackdowns on human rights activists and demonstrators – those who would draw more international attention to the negative aspect of the country – its on-going human rights violations and the culture of impunity.
So the question remains, “What is the progress of democracy and human rights 18 years later after the Tiananmen protests?”
On 15-18 May 2007, FORUM-ASIA held the East Asian Human Rights Forum (EAHRF) 2007 focusing on the theme of “Promoting Asian Solidarity for Democracy and the Rule of Law”. This forum emphasized the important relationship between impunity and the rule of law. The concept paper states: 2
“The establishment of the rule of law in a society is vital to ending impunity. Respect for the rule of law entails pursuing prosecutions and meting out punishment to persons who committed crimes and human rights violations. Ignoring the rule of law and fostering impunity would send the message to the people in a society that it is possible to repeat these crimes and violations without having to face or suffer any punishment. Establishing the rule of law and ending impunity ensures respect for human rights, leading to a free and democratic society.”
Impunity is clearly prevalent as the Chinese government refuses to address the issue of the 1989 protests- banning the media from even mentioning the incident. On this year’s 18th anniversary of the Tiananmen massacre, Amnesty International urged the Chinese government to fulfill the freedom of expression by lifting the ban of reporting about the June 4th incident.3 The “right to justice” is also not being served as 13 civilians who participated in the 1989 massacre still remain behind bars- seven serving suspended death sentences and six serving life 4 while the prosecutors receive no accountability.
The Chinese government actually even denies the fact that they are imprisioning the people involved in the 1989 massacre and this reality is not widely known to the international community.5
The Tiananmen massacre that occurred 18 years ago still remain unresolved as a former Tiananmen prisoner in Beijing, states “I want to tell those who claim that Tiananmen 'belongs to another era' that, behind the high, barbed-wire-ringed walls of the Chinese prisons, Tiananmen prisoners are still suffering and forced to engage in hard labor day and night today." 6
Human Rights Watch also reports that prior to every anniversary of the June 4th massacre, “survivors and victims' families are subjected to intrusive scrutiny by public security officials, while known dissidents are frequently put under house arrest during the same period.”7 Recently, Tiananmen mothers, a group of mothers and family members of those killed and injured in the 1989 Tiananmen massacres issued a letter signed by 128 victims and family members, calling for an official investigation into the Tiananmen incident and the prosecution of those responsible.8
Despite China’s so-called commitment to promote better human rights and ensure the freedom of media prior to the Olympics, the culture of impunity and human rights violations prevail to this very day in China. In order to live up to its commitments, China should ensure the freedom of media to report on the Tiananmen issue, investigate and prosecute those involved in the killings as well as compensate the victims and their families. In the meantime, the international community should also use the Olympics as a chance to establish the rule of law and allow China to address its past faults in order to ensure a long standing democracy and stability of the nation.
1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiananmen_Square_protests_of_1989
2 FORUM-ASIA, “Combating Impunity for the Rule of Law in East Asia : Striking a Balance: Truth, Justice, Reconciliation, and Peace in Transitional Justice”, Concept Paper 1st East Asia Human Rights Forum 2007, 15-18 May 2007
3 http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=17364
4 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=49&objectid=10443618
5 http://crd-net.org/Article/ShowClass.asp?ClassID=9
6 Ibid
7 http://bbsnews.net/article.php/2007060119041669
8 http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_details.asp?NewsID=17364
