37th Anniversary of the June 4th Incident, Civic Groups: Support Democracy and Resist Authoritarian Expansion

Central News Agency, Taipei, 29th. As the 37th anniversary of the June 4th Tiananmen Square incident in China approaches, civic groups announced information regarding memorial activities today. They emphasized that continuing the memory of June 4th and resisting authoritarian expansion and cross-border repression is a shared responsibility of democratic nations, and they will send invitations to political parties to take a stance. Civic groups, including the New School for Democracy, held a press conference at the Legislative Yuan's Zhongxing Building this morning for the 37th anniversary of the June 4th incident. The theme of this year's memorial rally is "Memory Has No Borders, Resistance Has No Boundaries." Gong Qin-long, Secretary-General of the New School for Democracy, stated that 37 years after the June 4th incident, the historical truth is still blocked, and people pursuing democracy and freedom are being suppressed. He noted that cross-border repression is becoming increasingly serious, threatening overseas dissidents, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Commemorating June 4th is to continue the memory, and resisting authoritarian expansion and cross-border repression is a shared responsibility of democratic nations. Tseng Chien-yuan, Executive Director of the New School for Democracy, mentioned that the CCP's suppression of the democratic movement in China and the elimination of Hong Kong's civil society now pose a threat to Taiwan. The June 4th incident is not just a matter for the Chinese people; for universal values and democratic governance, commemorating the June 4th incident is an important responsibility. Wu Renhua, a survivor of the June 4th incident, said that after the 2019 Hong Kong "Anti-Extradition" movement was suppressed and the Hong Kong National Security Law appeared, June 4th could no longer be commemorated in Victoria Park, Hong Kong. Holding June 4th memorial activities in Taiwan highlights Taiwan's democratic values and the concern of Taiwanese society for human rights. He called on the public to participate in the June 4th memorial rally to let the international community see Taiwan. Human rights activist Lee Ming-che emphasized that China's rise is accompanied by military threats to neighboring countries, which is a force that destroys world peace. He hopes Taiwan will not repeat the same mistakes in the future, given the terrible price the Chinese people have paid for communism, and hopes Taiwan will seriously think about the path it should take in the future while understanding the suffering of others. Wang Xi, a legal officer at the Taiwan Association for Human Rights, mentioned that the essence of the June 4th incident was Chinese people demanding political reform and advocating through assemblies, which Taiwan can empathize with. China's cross-border repression in recent years poses a real threat to democratic countries, and Taiwan is the biggest victim, which is the biggest reason to pay attention to the degree of China's democratization. Gong Qin-long stated that they will send invitations to political parties to formally invite representatives from each party to attend the June 4th memorial rally. He believes these matters should not be the responsibility of a single group or party, but a value that everyone and all groups should bear together. The 37th anniversary series of memorial activities includes the photo exhibition "Returning to the Square: Us After June 4th" from May 13 to June 20, and the human rights photo exhibition "Retracing Light and Shadow: Noise of Freedom" at the Central Corridor of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall from May 25 to June 10. A democracy market and memorial rally will be held at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall on June 4.