III 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 451 

Recalling the Government of China’s forcible dispersion of those peaceably 

assembled in Tiananmen Square 25 years ago, in light of China’s continued abysmal human rights record. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 15, 2014 

Mr. BARRASSO submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 

Committee on Foreign Relations 

RESOLUTION 

Recalling the Government of China’s forcible dispersion of 

those peaceably assembled in Tiananmen Square 25 

years ago, in light of China’s continued abysmal human 

rights record. 

Whereas, in 1989, Chinese citizens involved in a peaceful 

democratic movement gathered in Tiananmen Square to 

call for the establishment of a dialogue with their government on democratic reforms, including freedom of expression and freedom of assembly; 

Whereas, on June 4, 1989, Chinese authorities ordered the 

People’s Liberation Army and other security forces to use 

lethal force to disperse demonstrators in Tiananmen 

Square; 


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•SRES 451 IS 

Whereas the number of peaceful protesters killed or injured 

by the forcible dispersion remains unknown to this day; 

Whereas, 25 years after these deaths, there has been no accountability on the part of the Government of the People’s Republic of China in disciplining involved officials; 

Whereas there remain imprisoned to this day individuals who 

expressed their desire for democracy in China 25 years 

ago in Tiananmen Square; 

Whereas the Department of State’s most recent human rights 

report on China found that ‘‘citizens did not have the 

right to change their government’’; 

Whereas, even in recent weeks, the Government of the People’s Republic of China has detained those who attempt 

to peacefully commemorate the events of June 1989, including activists such as Pu Zhiqiang and Wen Kejian; 

Whereas the Department of State’s most recent human rights 

report on China found ‘‘extrajudicial killings’’ remained 

a problem in China; 

Whereas the Department of State’s most recent human rights 

report on China found the government continued to target ‘‘for arbitrary detention or arrest’’ ‘‘human rights activists, journalists . . . and former political prisoners and 

their family members’’; and 

Whereas June 4, 2014, is the 25th anniversary of the 

Tiananmen Square massacre: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) expresses sympathy to the families of those 

3 killed, tortured, and imprisoned as a result of their 

4 participation in the democracy gathering on June 4, 


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•SRES 451 IS 

1 1989, in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, in the People’s 

2 Republic of China; 

3 (2) commends all peaceful advocates for democ4 racy and human rights in China; 

5 (3) condemns the ongoing and egregious human 

6 rights abuses by the Communist Government of the 

7 People’s Republic of China; 

8 (4) calls on the Communist Government of the 

9 People’s Republic of China to— 

10 (A) release all prisoners of conscience, in11 cluding those persons still in prison as a result 

12 of their participation in the peaceful pro-democ13 racy gatherings of 1989 and those detained for 

14 their commemoration of these events; 

15 (B) allow those people exiled on account of 

16 their activities to return to live in freedom in 

17 China; and 

18 (C) cease the harassment, detention, and 

19 imprisonment of all Chinese citizens exercising 

20 their freedoms of expression, association, and 

21 religion; and 

22 (5) calls upon the United States representative 

23 at the United Nations Human Rights Council to in24 troduce a resolution in that forum calling for an exVerDate Mar 15 2010 01:59 May 16, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR451.IS SR451

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•SRES 451 IS 

1 amination of the human rights practices of the Gov2 ernment of the People’s Republic of China. 

Æ 


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