III 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 171 

Commending the people who have sacrificed their personal freedoms to bring 

about democratic change in the People’s Republic of China and expressing sympathy for the families of the people who were killed, wounded, 

or imprisoned, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen 

Square Massacre in Beijing, China from June 3 through 4, 1989. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 8, 2009 

Mr. INHOFE (for himself, Mr. BROWN, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. KYL, Mr. COBURN, 

Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. VITTER, Mr. WEBB, Mr. 

BROWNBACK, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. BUNNING, Mr. UDALL of Colorado, 

and Mr. CARDIN) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Commending the people who have sacrificed their personal 

freedoms to bring about democratic change in the People’s Republic of China and expressing sympathy for 

the families of the people who were killed, wounded, 

or imprisoned, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary 

of the Tiananmen Square Massacre in Beijing, China 

from June 3 through 4, 1989. 

Whereas freedom of expression, assembly, association, and religion are fundamental rights that all people should be 

able to possess and enjoy; 


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•SRES 171 ATS 

Whereas, in April 1989, in a demonstration of democratic 

progress, thousands of students took part in peaceful 

protests against the communist government of the People’s Republic of China in the capital city of Beijing; 

Whereas, throughout the month of May 1989, the students, 

in peaceful demonstrations, drew more people, young and 

old and from all walks of life, into central Beijing to demand better democracy, basic freedoms of speech and assembly, and an end to corruption; 

Whereas, from June 3 through 4, 1989, the Government of 

China ordered members of the People’s Liberation Army 

to enter Beijing and clear Tiananmen Square (located in 

central Beijing) by lethal force; 

Whereas, by June 7, 1989, the Red Cross of China reported 

that the People’s Liberation Army had killed more than 

300 people in Beijing, although foreign journalists who 

witnessed the events estimate that thousands of people 

were killed and thousands more wounded; 

Whereas more than 20,000 people in China were arrested 

and detained without trial, due to their suspected involvement in the protests at Tiananmen Square; 

Whereas, according to the Department of State, the Government of China has worked to censor information about 

the massacre at Tiananmen Square by blocking Internet 

sites and other media outlets, along with other sensitive 

information that would be damaging to the Government 

of China; 

Whereas the Government of China has continued to deny 

basic human rights, such as freedom of speech and religion; 


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•SRES 171 ATS 

Whereas, during the 2008 Olympic Games, the Government 

of China promised to provide the international media covering the Olympic Games with the same access given the 

media at all the other Olympic Games, but denied access 

to certain internet sites and media outlets in attempts to 

censor free speech; 

Whereas the Department of State Human Rights Report for 

2008 found that the Government of China had increased 

already severe cultural and religious suppression of ethnic 

minorities in Tibetan areas and the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, detained and harassed dissidents and 

journalists, and maintained tight controls on freedom of 

speech and the Internet; 

Whereas the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom in 2009 stated, ‘‘The Chinese government 

continues to engage in systematic and egregious violations of the freedom of religion or belief, with religious 

activities tightly controlled and some religious adherents 

detained, imprisoned, fined, beaten, and harassed.’’; and 

Whereas the China Aid Association reported that in 2007, 

Christians were detained or arrested and Christian house 

church groups were persecuted by the Government of 

China: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) commends the people who demonstrated at 

3 Tiananmen Square and elsewhere in the People’s 

4 Republic of China in 1989, many of whom sacrificed 

5 their lives and freedom to— 

6 (A) bring about democratic change in 

7 China; and 


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•SRES 171 ATS 

1 (B) gain freedom of expression, assembly, 

2 association, and religion for the people of 

3 China; 

4 (2) expresses its sympathy for the families of 

5 the people who were killed, wounded, or imprisoned 

6 due to their involvement in the peaceful protests in 

7 Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China from June 3 

8 through 4, 1989; 

9 (3) condemns the ongoing human rights abuses 

10 by the Government of China; 

11 (4) calls on the Government of China to— 

12 (A) release all prisoners that are— 

13 (i) still in captivity as a result of their 

14 involvement in the events from June 3 

15 through 4, 1989, at Tiananmen Square; 

16 and 

17 (ii) imprisoned without cause; 

18 (B) allow freedom of speech and access to 

19 information, especially information regarding 

20 the events at Tiananmen Square in 1989; and 

21 (C) cease all harassment, intimidation, and 

22 unjustified imprisonment of— 

23 (i) members of religious and minority 

24 groups; and 


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•SRES 171 ATS 

1 (ii) people who disagree with policies 

2 of the Government of China; 

3 (5) supports efforts by free speech activists in 

4 China and elsewhere who are working to overcome 

5 censorship (including censorship of the Internet) and 

6 the chilling effect of censorship; and 

7 (6) urges the President to continue to support 

8 peaceful advocates of free speech around the world. 

Æ 


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