An Accounting of the Tiananmen Square Massacre Remains Necessary 26 Years Later

China's criticism of a continued United States(US) call for an accurate accounting of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre must be rejected; and instead of skirting the issue, China should once and for all, justly and humanely, provide true details of the tragic event so that the survivors of the martyred could find closure.

This past June 4 was the 26th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre when the Chinese army descended upon thousands of democracy protesters in Beijing and across China. It is believed that hundreds and perhaps thousands died, yet China has failed to provide an accurate accounting of the massacre, opting instead to  restrict and to dictate information about the event in China and worldwide. 

Recently within China, a few brave survivors of those martyred in 1989, have started calling on the Beijing communists to account for the massacre, pointing out the hypocrisy of their government's failure for a fair accounting while it criticizes Japan for its accounting of World War II events.

Thus, it was within the scope of humanitarian concerns and within international law and norms that on the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre that US State Department spokesman, John Kirby reiterated that the US "continues to call for an official accounting of the victims of these events, the release of those still serving Tiananmen-related sentences, and an end of the harassment and detention of those who wish to peacefully commemorate the anniversary," Reuters reported.

In typical arrogant fashion as though China could never do any wrong, China's foreign ministry spokesman, Hong Lei categorized the US call as "unprovoked accusations, which severely infringed upon China's internal affairs."

But China's failure to accurately account for the deaths of so many young people is an international concern since China has sought, and gained,  international economic participation from which it has amassed great wealth facilitated by free nations. 

Therefore, it is not China's place to opt to abide by international law and norms in only economic matters as it deems fit. It has sat at the table of international organizations and in doing so, it must abide by international law and norms and not by communist practices and policies. Hence an accurate accounting of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre is necessary as well as fair rights and due process of all the people from Hong Kong to Xinjiang.