H. Res. 178
In the House of Representatives, U.S.,
May 25, 1999.
Whereas the United States was founded on the democratic
principle that all men and women are created equal and
entitled to the exercise of their basic human rights;
Whereas freedom of expression and assembly are funda-
mental human rights that belong to all people and are
recognized as such under the United Nations Declaration
of Human Rights and the International Covenant on
Civil and Political Rights;
Whereas the death of the former General Secretary of the
Communist Party of the People’s Republic of China, Hu
Yaobang, on April 15, 1989, gave rise to peaceful pro-
tests throughout China calling for the establishment of a
dialogue with government and party leaders on demo-
cratic reforms, including freedom of expression, freedom
of assembly, and the elimination of corruption by govern-
ment officials;
Whereas after that date thousands of prodemocracy dem-
onstrators continued to protest peacefully in and around
Tiananmen Square in Beijing until June 3 and 4, 1989,
until Chinese authorities ordered the People’s Liberation
Army and other security forces to use lethal force to dis-
perse demonstrators in Beijing, especially around
Tiananmen Square;
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Whereas nonofficial sources, a Chinese Red Cross report from
June 7, 1989, and the State Department Country Re-
ports on Human Rights Practices for 1989, gave various
estimates of the numbers of people killed and wounded
in 1989 by the People’s Liberation Army soldiers and
other security forces, but agreed that hundreds, if not
thousands, of people were killed and thousands more
were wounded;
Whereas 20,000 people nationwide suspected of taking part
in the democracy movement were arrested and sentenced
without trial to prison or reeducation through labor, and
many were reportedly tortured;
Whereas human rights groups such as Human Rights Watch,
Human Rights in China, and Amnesty International have
documented that hundreds of those arrested remain in
prison;
Whereas the Government of the People’s Republic of China
continues to suppress dissent by imprisoning prodemoc-
racy activists, journalists, labor union leaders, religious
believers, and other individuals in China and Tibet who
seek to express their political or religious views in a
peaceful manner; and
Whereas June 4, 1999, is the tenth anniversary of the date
of the Tiananmen Square massacre: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives—
(1) expresses sympathy to the families of those
killed as a result of their participation in the democracy
protests of 1989, as well as to the families of those who
have been killed and to those who have suffered for their
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efforts to keep that struggle alive during the past dec-
ade;
(2) commends all citizens of the People’s Republic
of China who are peacefully advocating for democracy
and human rights; and
(3) condemns the ongoing and egregious human
rights abuses by the Government of the People’s Repub-
lic of China and calls on that government to—
(A) reevaluate the official verdict on the June
4, 1989, Tiananmen prodemocracy activities and
order relevant procuratorial organs to open formal
investigations on the June fourth event with the
goal of bringing those responsible to justice;
(B) establish a June Fourth Investigation
Committee, the proceedings and findings of which
should be accessible to the public, to make a just
and independent inquiry into all matters related to
June 4, 1989;
(C) release all prisoners of conscience, includ-
ing those still in prison as a result of their partici-
pation in the peaceful prodemocracy protests of
May and June 1989, provide just compensation to
the families of those killed in those protests, and
allow those exiled on account of their activities in