EU urges China to lift silence on Tiananmen crackdown

The European Union on Tuesday urged China to lift the veil of silence it has dropped over the Tiananmen Square crackdown, saying it must acknowledge those killed or imprisoned in the bloody events of 1989.

On the 30th anniversary of the brutal suppression of pro-democracy protests in Beijing, the EU called for the release of human rights activists detained by the Chinese authorities.

The communist government censored any discussion of the protests and military clampdown, which left hundreds, possibly more than 1,000 people dead, in the run-up to June 4 in a bid to prevent Chinese people ever learning about what happened.

EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini said the bloc "continues to mourn" those killed in the "brutal repression" at Tiananmen.

"The exact numbers of those who died and were detained on 4 June and in the subsequent crackdown have never been confirmed, and may never be known," Mogherini said in a statement.

"Acknowledgement of these events, and of those killed, detained or missing in connection with the Tiananmen Square protests, is important for future generations and for the collective memory."