Clinton calls on China to release Tiananmen prisoners

Chinese police turned out in force yesterday to smother any commemoration of the crackdown in Tiananmen Square 20 years ago, but thousands lit candles in Hong Kong in memory of the victims.

hillary-clinton-pointing2 A park in Hong Kong was a sea of flickering lights honouring the pro-democracy protesters killed when army tanks moved into the centre of Beijing on June 4, 1989, killing hundreds.

The anniversary sparked a fresh row between the US and China over the fate of the victims the Chinese authorities would prefer to forget.

The diplomatic spat broke out when Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, urged Beijing to name the victims of the massacre and release all those still imprisoned in connection with the student-led demonstrations. She called for a dialogue with the victims’ families and an end to harassment of those who took part.

Mrs Clinton’s demands reflect views that Washington has long held, but they represent a tougher stance on China’s human rights record than she had taken in her first four months in the job.

China responded angrily, denouncing Mrs Clinton for crude meddling. Qin Gang, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, said: “The US remarks, which disregard the facts, make groundless accusations against the Chinese Government. We express strong dissatisfaction [about] that. We urge the US to put aside its political prejudices and correct its mistakes so as to refrain from undermining bilateral relations.”

The words offered scant comfort to Ding Zilin, the founder of the Tiananmen Mothers’ group, which is trying to keep the memories of the victims alive. Ms Ding, 72, has fought for 20 years to extract a true account of what happened, and a list of the victims. Her only son, who was 17, was shot through the heart as he stood on the Avenue of Eternal Peace in the centre of Beijing.

Ms Ding, along with many of China’s most prominent activists, could no longer be contacted, and appeared to have been isolated by the police.

In Beijing, thousands of police patrolled the streets to ensure no one attempted to mourn the victims. The Communist Party has never provided a list of names of the dead and fears that any public commemoration of the crackdown could undermine its grip on power.

Residents of Hong Kong were able to exercise the freedoms they are guaranteed under the terms of the handover from Britain. Organisers put the turnout at 150,000, while police estimated that 65,000 people had gathered in a park to remember the victims of Tiananmen.

The crowd chanted: “We will never forget June 4.” They sang songs as they waved candles and linked arms. Many in Hong Kong are proud of China’s economic miracle since 1989, but still shocked by the events of the night when troops opened fire on civilians.

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