Reuters
[Source: Reuters]
Taiwan has pressed China to recognise the deadly crackdown on protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square 37 years ago, in commemorating the anniversary on Thursday of an event that remains taboo for Beijing.
“I sincerely hope that China can face up to the June 4 incident of 37 years ago, acknowledge the truth, soothe the pain, and open the door to reconciliation and dialogue,” Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said in a post on his Facebook page.
The events on and around the central Beijing square on June 4, 1989, when Chinese troops opened fire to end the student-led pro-democracy protests, are not publicly discussed in China , and the anniversary is not officially marked.
Public commemorations now take place in overseas cities, including Taipei, where senior Taiwanese government leaders often use the anniversary to criticise China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory.
Lai warned against “blindly believing” in militarism and said a healthy government and society should strive to support better lives for the next generation rather than use “violence, surveillance, and other means to strangle their dreams and erase their opinions”, his Facebook post showed.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment on Lai’s remarks.
China calls Lai a “separatist” and has rebuffed multiple offers of talks from him. He says only Taiwan’s people can decide their future.
