By the Tiananmen Mothers

May 29, 2025

(Editor’s Note from Human Rights in China (HRIC): On the 36^th anniversary of the “June Fourth” Tiananmen Massacre, the Tiananmen Mothers group has authorized Human Rights in China to publish this statement, translated into English by HRIC. For more information on June Fourth and the Tiananmen Mothers, please visit HRIC’s web page on the topic of June Fourth. You may read the original Chinese version here.)

It has been 36 years since the 1989 June Fourth Massacre on Beijing’s Chang’an avenue. For every family who lost a loved one, the scenes of that year remain seared into our hearts. The bereaved will never forget. This atrocity, engineered entirely by the government of the time, remains one of the darkest chapters in human history. The pain it has caused has never left—it is a nightmare that time cannot fade.

Over the course of 36 years, we—the bereaved families of the victims—have weathered countless trials and hardships. Every family has changed beyond recognition. The middle-aged parents who lost their children are now in their 80s; many have passed away due to illness, and in some cases, both of the victims' parents have died. They left this world burdened by an unending grief and longing for their innocent children. Redress of the June Fourth tragedy was their final wish. This most solemn duty—of seeking redress, fairness, and justice on behalf of their children and our own—has been entrusted to those of us who are still alive.

Since the 35th anniversary of the June Fourth Massacre in 2024, over the span of just one year, several more family members of victims have passed away. We mourn their passing here—and we ask the world to remember, always, the torment they carried for 36 years. In 1989, they cradled in their arms the mutilated bodies of their sons and daughters—gunned down by soldiers, mangled to pulp beneath tanks. Their screams of anguish shook the hearts of everyone present. It was terrible to witness. That summer, Beijing had become a hell on earth: drenched in the violence and the red terror wrought by the military, and shrouded in the cold, inhumane indifference of the state.

As parents frantically searched for the remains of their children, weeping in horror, the government celebrated its own violence—showering praise on the slaughter, pushing the grotesque narrative of having pacified “a counterrevolutionary riot,” and silencing dissent. A government that believes power comes from the barrel of a gun, and sustains its rule through bloodshed, is a government devoid of humanity.

We return each year to honor the dead and the loved ones they left behind, because this wound has never healed—not in the hearts of the Chinese people, and not in the hearts of the families. The pain is eternal. History will not forget the vibrant, innocent souls who were taken.

One of the victims, Tian Daomin, was 22 years old when he was killed. He was from Shishou City, Hubei Province, and was a student in the Management Department, class of 1985, at Beijing University of Science and Technology. After finishing his graduating thesis, he left campus with his classmates. On the morning of June 4th, at Liubukou in Xidan, he was crushed to death by a tank.

The university sent a telegram to notify the family. Upon receiving it, his parents were devastated, as if struck by a thunderbolt on a clear day. Their world collapsed. They were too overwhelmed to travel, so two nephews were sent to Beijing in their place to arrange the funeral.

After Tiananmen Square was cleared in the early hours of June 4th, the students withdrew in columns of four, moving west along Chang’an Avenue. Upon reaching Liubukou, Xidan, they encountered army units. Ordinary citizens from Beijing tried to protect the students and block the troops’ advance, and knelt down in front of the tanks. The military responded by firing tear gas laced with toxic chemicals, causing many students and civilians to lose consciousness and collapse. A line of tanks then rolled over the unconscious crowd. Tian Daomin was among them. A tank crushed half of Daomin’s forehead and one of his eyes; the other half of his forehead and one eye remained intact. His body bore no other wounds. He died instantly.

Tian Daomin’s mother, Huang Dingying, died of illness in the second half of 2023.

Twelve years ago, when members of the Tiananmen Mothers visited Tian Daomin’s parents in Beijing, they expressed their heartfelt feelings about the June 4th tragedy: “We ask the central government to give us a clear and just answer. We believe the June Fourth massacre was fundamentally wrong. Our son was just a student—he did not violate any Chinese laws, he did not do anything to endanger the country. How could they use such cruelty against defenseless students and ordinary citizens? To this day, there has been no explanation. We hope the government will provide a resolution within our lifetime. If it fails to do so, we will never be at peace.”

Victim Zhou Xinming was only 16 years old when he was killed. He was a first-year student at the technical school of Xuehua Electrical Appliance Company. In the early morning of June Fourth, in front of the National Palace in Xidan, Chang'an Avenue, he was shot by soldiers while trying to rescue the wounded. The bullet was explosive. It tore through his ribs and detonated in his liver, pulverizing it. He was taken to Jishuitan Hospital in Beijing, but the doctors could do nothing. He died in the operating room at 5 a.m.

Zhou Xinming's father Zhou Guolin was a cadre member at the Beijing Transformer Factory and passed away from illness in 2020. His mother, Mu Huailan, who worked at the same factory, died of illness in January 2024. The couple had two children; Zhou Xinming was their younger son. They could have never imagined that their child, a 16-year-old boy in the prime of youth, not yet an adult, would die under the barrel of a soldier’s gun. Still less could they imagine that the military would use explosive bullets, banned under international law, which shattered Zhou Xinming’s liver beyond the possibility of treatment. This is a fact that is utterly outrageous.

Victim Xi Guiru, 24 years old, was an employee of the Beijing Exhibition Road Labor Service Company. She was shot in the left shoulder at the north entrance of the Erqi Theater in the early morning of June Fourth. She died at the People's Hospital, leaving behind a young child.

Xi Guiru’s mother, Tan Shuqin, was an employee at the Beijing Exhibition Center. She passed away several years ago due to heart disease. Her father, Xi Yongshun, was a farmer in the outskirts of Beijing. After suffering a stroke, he was paralyzed and bedridden for over twenty years and died on December 10, 2023. Xi Guiru’s parents had one son and one daughter. Their daughter’s tragic death inflicted deep psychological pain on both parents.

Victim Wang Weiping had just graduated from Peking Medical University with a degree in clinical medicine. After the summer, she was set to begin work as a doctor in the obstetrics and gynecology department at Beijing People’s Hospital. She was shot at Muxidi while attempting to rescue the wounded. A bullet struck her neck. She fell, without even leaving behind a final word.

Her mother, Zhu Yuxian, passed away from illness in 2022. Two years later, her father, Wang Deyi, also died of illness in November 2024. Whenever we, the other bereaved families, visited them, they would shed sorrowful tears at the mention of their daughter, and bring out the treasured belongings she left behind to show us. They had raised a daughter who was kind-hearted, full of medical integrity, and brave.

There was originally a blank monument in front of Wang Weiping's tomb in Wan'an Cemetery. Now, after the family’s careful restoration, golden characters reading “Wang Weiping's Tomb” appear before us. People will remember this young woman who, in a moment of grave danger, risked her own life to rescue the dying and the wounded.

Victim Zhao Jinsuo was shot in both knees in the early morning of June Fourth, at Fuxingmen. Two bullets struck his legs. Beijing residents rushed him to Xuanwu Hospital, where doctors managed to save his life—but both legs were left permanently disabled. He died of illness on December 25, 2024, at the age of 69. After the June Fourth massacre, he demonstrated rare courage by openly signing his name in support of the cause for justice.

In 2013, on behalf of the Tiananmen Mothers, Mr. Jiang Peikun drafted a collective statement articulating the group’s shared position. It provided a detailed appeal to the National People’s Congress, outlining a path toward resolving the June Fourth tragedy.

Resolving the June Fourth issue requires the start of political reform and a fundamental transformation of China’s political system. This hinges on repeated contestation among various political factions and forces, both domestic and abroad, and on the formation of a basic consensus between those in power and those outside of it, on various political demands. At present, such a consensus does not exist. Therefore, it must be pursued through dialogue and negotiation between the state and civil society. Whether these talks succeed or fail will ultimately be determined by the direction of public will and the conscience of the people.

As victims of the June Fourth tragedy, as members of the Tiananmen Mothers, we possess both confidence and patience. If our generation passes, the next will carry on. Our demands remain as follows:

(1) That the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress establish a special investigation committee on the June Fourth incident to conduct an independent and impartial inquiry into the events in their entirety, and to publicly release its findings to the nation—including the full list and number of those killed.

(2) That the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress instruct the relevant government departments to account for each victim on a case-by-case basis, in accordance with legal procedures; and that it draft and pass a special compensation law for the victims of the June Fourth incident, providing lawful compensation to victims and their families.

(3) That the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress instruct the procuratorate to open a formal investigation into the June Fourth massacre and to pursue legal accountability for those responsible, in accordance with the law.

In short, our three demands are: truth, compensation, and accountability.

We have declared many times that the June Fourth issue must be handled peacefully and rationally, within the bounds of democracy and the rule of law. It must not be dictated by the will of any one party or individual, nor can it follow the old pattern of political campaigns where the government unilaterally declared “redress” after the fact. We understand that our rights and dignity—including those of our loved ones who were killed—are ours to fight for. They are not gifts from above; they are entitlements we must claim and protect ourselves.

For this reason, we urge the National People’s Congress to follow legal procedure and formally submit the June Fourth massacre as a special motion for deliberation and review, and to pass relevant resolutions aimed at securing a just resolution. In a single phrase, our position is this: Political problems must be solved through legal means. We believe legislation and judicial process are the only viable path to justice.

It has been 36 years since the June Fourth massacre. In order to secure fairness and justice for all the innocent lives that were taken, we—the families of the victims—have held our ground for 36 years. This massacre is not only a heavy burden on the hearts of the bereaved; it is a major historical event that weighs on the conscience of the entire Chinese people. Its gravity is not something that can be determined by any individual or political party. Yet, this national trauma has been deliberately covered up and marginalized on a national scale. It must be brought before the people so that the truth may be known. This is a matter of history—and it must be resolved through the law.

The current government has made strong commitments to constitutional governance and the rule of law. It is promoting greater public participation, democratic reform, and economic and social development. It has pledged to build a more inclusive, robust, and accountable democracy; to uphold the people’s role as the true subjects of power; to guarantee equal rights under the law; to respect and protect human rights; and to ensure that citizens enjoy extensive rights and freedoms in accordance with the law. Under these principles, it must also correct all acts that violate the Constitution and the law.

In light of this, we once again sincerely call for dialogue with the government. Political problems must be solved through legal means. The unresolved legacy of the June Fourth massacre should be addressed through legislation and judicial process, in a way that is fair and just. An objective reassessment of June Fourth is the government’s duty to history, to the people, to the families of the victims—and to the international community.

Initiation of dialogue would mark the beginning of resolving this historical wound. We believe that by addressing the June Fourth massacre, China can step into a new era—one no longer burdened by the weight of historical trauma.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the death of Professor Jiang Peikun, a tenured professor at Renmin University of China. We, the “Tiananmen Mothers” group, extend our highest respect to Professor Jiang, the pioneer of our cause and one of the most courageous voices in our movement.

Signed by:

You Weijie, Guo Liying, Zhang Yanqiu, Wu Lihong, Zhu Zhidi, Ye Xiangrong, Ding Zilin, Zhang Xianling, Qian Putai, Wu Dingfu, Song Xiuling, Sun Chengkang, Yu Qing, Sun Ning, Huang Jinping, Meng Shuying, Yuan Shumin, Liu Meihua, Xie Jinghua, Ma Xueqin, Kuang Ruirong, Yang Darong, He Tianfeng, Liu Xiuchen, Shen Guifang, Xie Jingrong, Yao Furong, Meng Shuzhen, Shao Qiufeng, Tan Hanfeng, Wang Wenhua, Chen Mei, Zhou Yan, Li Guiying, Xu Baoyan, Di Mengqi, Wang Lian, Guan Weidong, Liu Shuqin, Sun Shanping, Liu Tianyuan, Xiong Hui, Zhang Caifeng, He Ruitian, Tian Weiyan, Yang Zhiyu, Li Xianyuan, Wang Yuqin, Fang Zheng, He Xingcai, Liu Renan, Qi Guoxiang, Han Guogang, Pang Meiqing, Huang Ning, Wang Bodong, Zhang Zhiqiang, Kong Weizhen, Liu Baodong, Qi Zhiying, Fang Guizhen, Lei Yong, Ge Guirong Zheng Xiucun, Gui Delan, Wang Yunqi, Huang Xuefen, Guo Daxian, Wang Lin, Zhu Jingrong, Wang Zhengqiang, Ning Shuping, Cao Yunlan, Feng Shulan, Fu Yuanyuan, Li Chunshan, Jiang Yanqin, He Fengting, Xiao Zongyou, Qiao Xiulan, Lu Yanjing, Li Haoquan, Lai Yundi, Zhou Xiaojiao, Zhou Yunjiao, Chen Yongbang, Liu Yongliang, Zhang Jingli, Sun Haiwen, Wang Hai, Lu Sanbao, Yao Yueying, Ren Gailian, Ni Shishu, Yang Yunlong, Cui Linsen, Wu Weidong, Shi Jing, Yuan Ren, Bao Limei, Xi Guijun, Zhong Junhua, Zha Aiqiang, Chen Weidong, Hao Jian, Zhang Suying, Lin Li, Duan Changqi (108 total signatories)

At the request of fellow sufferers, we have decided to append the list of deceased signatories from previous years to honor their final wishes:

Wu Xuehan, Su Bingxian, Yao Ruisheng, Yang Shiyu, Yuan Changlu, Zhou Shuzhen, Wang Guoxian, Bao Yutian, Lin Jingpei Kou Yusheng, Meng Jinxiu, Zhang Junsheng, Wu Shouqin, Zhou Zhigang, Sun Xiuzhi, Luo Rang, Yan Guanghan, Li Zhenying, Kuang Diqing, Duan Hongbing, Liu Chunlin, Zhang Yaozu, Li Shujuan, Yang Yinshan, Wang Peijing, Yuan Kezhi, Pan Muzhi, Xiao Changyi, Zha Weilin, Liu Jianlan, Suo Xiunv, Yang Ziming, Cheng Shuzhen, Du Dongxu, Zhang Guirong, Zhao Tingjie, Lu Masheng, Jiang Peikun, Ren Jinbao, Zhang Shuyun, Han Shuxiang, Shi Feng, Wang Guirong, Sui Lisong, Tian Shuling, Sun Shufang, Chen Yongchao, Sun Hengyao, Xu Jue, Wang Fandi, Li Xuewen, Wang Shuanglan, Zhang Zhenxia, ​​Xiao Shulan, Tan Shuqin, Gao Jie, Jin Yaxi, Xing Chengli, Zhou Guolin, Hao Yichuan, Lu Yubao, Cao Changxian, Yin Min, Liu Qian, Lin Wuyun, Jin Zhenyu, Feng Youxiang, Wang Huirong, Zhu Yuxian, Zhang Shusen, Wang Guangming, Zhou Shuzhuang, Qi Zhiyong, Jia Fuquan, Huang Dingying, Xi Yongshun, Mu Huailan, Wang Deyi, Zhao Jinsuo (79 people in total)