Executive urged to lobby China
TWENTY years after the Chinese military massacred hundreds of its own citizens in Beijing's Tiananmen Square, Hong Kong-born Assemblywoman Anna Lo led a commemoration at Stormont.
The Alliance representative laid a wreath of red flowers on the steps of Parliament Buildings, placed beside a crumpled bicycle to remember the brutality of the Chinese government's repression that day and in the days which followed.
Ms Lo and Patrick Corrigan from Amnesty International handed a letter to the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister calling on the Executive to raise human rights abuses when with the Chinese government.
Twenty years after the pro-democracy protests were crushed, even talking about the uprising can result in imprisonment as China's communist regime seeks to avoid any remembrance of what happened.
Ms Lo, whose son, Conall Hon, was arrested in London last year for protesting against human rights abuses in Tibet during the Olympic torch ceremony, said that the events of June 4, 1989, had "shocked the world's conscience".
"Today is a moment to remember the victims and to stand up for justice," she said.
"Twenty years on from the crackdown, there are still many human rights problems in China: freedom of speech, the right to a fair trial and protection from torture are denied to many in modern China.
"One of the best ways to bring about positive change in China is through diplomatic pressure from abroad, and by encouraging politicians to raise concerns with the Chinese government. That is what we are asking the Executive to do."
Recalling the events of Tiananmen Square two decades ago, former First Minister Ian Paisley said that Northern Ireland should cherish its democracy and civil freedoms.
Writing in today's News Letter, he said: "As we consider these three milestones in China's history, we should do so with grateful hearts that we do live in a democracy, that we do have a free press, that we can join or form any political party that takes our fancy, and on the Sabbath worship where we please." See page 19
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Tuesday 29 May 2012
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