Chinese authorities have intensified surveillance and imposed restrictions on dissidents and activists across the country ahead of the 37th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, according to The Epoch Times.
The publication cited interviews with individuals who said they had been placed under close monitoring, confined to their homes, or warned against publicly discussing the anniversary.
According to The Epoch Times, the June 4, 1989, military crackdown on the student-led pro-democracy movement in Beijing resulted in thousands of deaths and injuries. The report noted that the Chinese government continues to treat public remembrance of the incident as a highly sensitive issue.
The media outlet reported that the latest restrictions are part of a recurring pattern in which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) strengthens political security measures each year in the lead-up to June 4.
The report further stated that the New York-based advocacy organisation Human Rights in China released its annual statement from the Tiananmen Mothers, a collective representing families of those killed during the 1989 crackdown. The group renewed its longstanding calls for the CCP to disclose the full truth about the events of June 4, compensate victims’ families, and hold those responsible accountable.
The Epoch Times also highlighted the Victims of Communism Memorial in Washington, a replica of the Goddess of Democracy statue erected by Tiananmen protesters in 1989. The memorial commemorates more than 100 million people who, according to the memorial’s organisers, died under communist regimes since the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution.
Several dissidents told The Epoch Times that state security personnel, police officers, and local neighbourhood officials began contacting them in late May. According to the report, they were instructed not to travel, attend gatherings, or speak with overseas media outlets ahead of the anniversary. The individuals agreed to speak only on condition that their surnames be published, citing concerns over possible retaliation. (ANI)
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