Political Quotes

“It has been 25 years since China's Government crushed the peaceful demonstrations we remember by the name ``Tiananmen Square.'' The resolution before us honors the extraordinary sacrifice endured by hundreds of thousands of peaceful Chinese democracy activists who rallied for almost 2 months in Beijing and in over 400 other cities in China in a heroic quest for liberty and human rights. It has been estimated that over a million people took part. Tiananmen has also come to symbolize the brutal lengths China's Communist Party will go to remain in power. When the tanks rolled into the square on June 4, 1989, mothers lost sons, fathers lost daughters, and China lost an idealistic generation of future leaders. You know, Mr. Speaker, some may prefer to look past or even trivialize the wanton slaughter by Chinese soldiers. The memory of the dead and those arrested, tortured, and exiled requires us to honor them, respect their noble aspirations for fundamental freedoms, and recommit ourselves to the struggle for freedom and human rights in China. Former President Jiang Zemin said in an interview that Tiananmen was ``no big deal.'' But it was a very big deal that has left an enduring mark on Chinese society and on U.S.-China relations. The Government of China continues to go to astounding, even bizarre, lengths to censor and ban open discussion of Tiananmen.…”