PRINTER'S NO. 2250
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE RESOLUTION
No.
424
Session of
2019
INTRODUCED BY ROTHMAN, LEWIS, RYAN, SCHLOSSBERG, HILL-EVANS,
SCHMITT, LONGIETTI, BARRAR, BIZZARRO, BERNSTINE, MILLARD,
KAUFFMAN, PICKETT, MURT, KINSEY, JOZWIAK, JAMES, STAATS,
CALTAGIRONE AND YOUNGBLOOD, JUNE 25, 2019
INTRODUCED AS NONCONTROVERSIAL RESOLUTION UNDER RULE 35,
JUNE 25, 2019
A RESOLUTION
Recognizing the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square
protests that began on June 4, 1989, and the events that
occurred that day, along with the heroism of the
participants.
WHEREAS, On June 4, 1989, a violent crackdown on peaceful
demonstrations held in and around Beijing's Tiananmen Square was
carried out by the People's Liberation Army following orders
from the communist government of the People's Republic of China;
and
WHEREAS, Approximately 1 million people joined in the
protests at Tiananmen Square, as well as citizens in more than
400 cities across China, calling for democratic reform,
including not only students, but also government employees,
journalists, workers, police officers, members of the armed
forces and other citizens; and
WHEREAS, These peaceful protestors called upon the communist
government of the People's Republic of China to eliminate
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corruption, accelerate economic and political reform and protect
human rights, particularly the freedoms of expression and
assembly; and
WHEREAS, On May 20, 1989, martial law was declared in
Beijing, China, after authorities failed to persuade
demonstrators to leave Tiananmen Square; and
WHEREAS, During the late afternoon and early evening hours of
June 3, 1989, thousands of armed troops from the People's
Liberation Army, supported by tanks and other armor, moved into
Beijing and the surrounding streets; and
WHEREAS, On the night of June 3, 1989, and continuing into
the morning of June 4, 1989, the soldiers fired on the crowds
and inflicted a high number of casualties on the demonstrators;
and
WHEREAS, The soldiers injured many unarmed citizens and tanks
crushed some protestors and onlookers to death; and
WHEREAS, Independent observers reported that hundreds, maybe
even thousands of individuals, were wounded or killed by the
People's Liberation Army and other security forces in Beijing
and other Chinese cities; and
WHEREAS, Tens of thousands of individuals were detained,
imprisoned and faced reeducation through labor, often without
trial, and many others were tortured and imprisoned for decades;
and
WHEREAS, Despite the communist government of the People's
Republic of China's integration into the international economic
system and the country's obligations under international
treaties and covenants, the political reforms and the protection
of universally recognized rights sought by the Tiananmen
demonstrators have not been realized during the last 30 years;
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and
WHEREAS, The communist government of the People's Republic of
China continues to actively suppress universally recognized
rights by imprisoning or restricting the activities of pro-
democracy activists, human rights lawyers, citizen journalists,
labor union leaders, religious believers, members of ethnic
minorities and individuals who seek to express their political
or religious views or their ethnic identity in a peaceful
manner; and
WHEREAS, According to the political prisoner database
maintained by the United States Congressional-Executive
Commission on China, the communist government of the People's
Republic of China continues to detain more than 1,500 political
and religious prisoners, yet the number of political and
religious prisoners is presumed to be much higher; and
WHEREAS, More than 1 million other ethnic and religious
minorities are interned in political reeducation camps in China
and are subjected to forced renunciation of faith, torture and
forced assimilation of their language and culture through
actions that constitute crimes against humanity; and
WHEREAS, The protection of universally recognized human
rights, in law and practice, would allow the communist
government of the People's Republic of China to establish more
stable economic, political and security relations with its
neighbors and the United States; therefore be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square protests that began on
June 4, 1989, and the events that occurred on that day, along
with the heroism of the participants; and it further
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives express sympathy
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and solidarity to the families of those killed, tortured and
imprisoned for their participation in the pro-democracy
demonstrations during the spring of 1989 in Beijing and in other
cities across the People's Republic of China, including those
who peacefully sought political reform, democratic transparency,
the rule of law and protections for universally recognized human
rights in China.
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