31 years of Tiananmen Square: 'Slaughter' not forgotten, says White House

American people reflect on the courage and optimism of thousands of Chinese citizens who gathered peacefully 31 years ago throughout China to protest widespread official corruption, says White House

Commemorating the 31st anniversary of Tiananmen Square massacre, the United States said that 'slaughter' by China will not be forgotten and called upon the Chinese government to fulfil its commitments under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

"The Chinese Communist Party's slaughter of unarmed Chinese civilians was a tragedy that will not be forgotten. The United States calls on China to honour the memory of those who lost their lives and to provide a full accounting of those who were killed, detained, or remain missing in connection with the events surrounding the Tiananmen Square massacre on June 4, 1989," White House said in a statement.

White House said that the American people reflect on the courage and optimism of the hundreds of thousands of Chinese citizens who gathered peacefully 31 years ago in Beijing and throughout China to protest widespread official corruption and demand a greater say in the governance of their country.

On this day of remembrance, the people of the United States call upon the Chinese government to fulfil its commitments under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Sino-British Joint Declaration, to uphold the rights and freedoms guaranteed to all Chinese citizens under China's constitution, and to end the systematic persecution of millions of ethnic and religious minorities, the statement added.