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US presses China over Tiananmen Police surround Tiananmen Square
(about 2 hours later)
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has urged China to publicly account for those killed in the suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests 20 years ago. Police in China's capital, Beijing, have ringed Tiananmen Square on the 20th anniversary of the violent suppression of student-led protests.
Mrs Clinton said China should release those still held over the protests and stop harassing those who took part. The clampdown comes as international pressure mounts for China to issue a full account of what happened in 1989.
Hundreds, possibly thousands, of people died in the crackdown and open discussion of the events remains taboo. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for China to publish the names of those killed or missing.
Hundreds, possibly thousands, died in the massacre, and open debate on the topic is forbidden in mainland China.
"A China that has made enormous progress economically and is emerging to take its rightful place in global leadership should examine openly the darker events of its past," Mrs Clinton said in a statement released on Wednesday.
She said the Beijing government need to "provide a public accounting of those killed, detained or missing, both to learn and to heal".
China expressed its "strong dissatisfaction" with Mrs Hillary's comments.
"The US action makes groundless accusations against the Chinese government," foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said.
'Chance to reflect'
There is very tight security in Beijing, with police stopping foreign journalists reaching the square.There is very tight security in Beijing, with police stopping foreign journalists reaching the square.
Uniformed and plain-clothed officials even stopped TV crews filming the daily flag-raising ceremony at dawn.Uniformed and plain-clothed officials even stopped TV crews filming the daily flag-raising ceremony at dawn.
Many dissidents say they have been told to leave Beijing or are confined to their homes. China... should examine openly the darker events of its past US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8061483.stm">Chinese youth discuss Tiananmen class="" href="/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8082489.stm">Anniversary: Your views
China 'should examine openly the darker events of its past' US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Many dissidents say they have been told to leave Beijing or are confined to their homes, and plain-clothes police are at the gates of the city's universities to prevent any commemorative events.
Even in Hong Kong, where freedom of expression is guaranteed, some dissidents have been denied entry.Even in Hong Kong, where freedom of expression is guaranteed, some dissidents have been denied entry.
But Mrs Clinton said in a statement that the anniversary was a chance for China to "reflect upon the meaning of the events that preceded that day". Mrs Clinton said in her statement that the anniversary was a chance for China to "reflect upon the meaning of the events that preceded that day".
She said China "should examine openly the darker events of its past and provide a public accounting of those killed, detained or missing, both to learn and to heal."
"China can honour the memory of that day by moving to give the rule of law, protection of internationally-recognised human rights, and democratic development the same priority as it has given to economic reform," she added."China can honour the memory of that day by moving to give the rule of law, protection of internationally-recognised human rights, and democratic development the same priority as it has given to economic reform," she added.
Mrs Clinton's views were echoed by British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who said that while China had made "big improvements in economic and social rights" since Tiananmen, progress on political and civil rights had been "far slower". Mrs Clinton's views were echoed by British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, who said that while China had made "big improvements in economic and social rights" since the Tiananmen crackdown, progress on political and civil rights had been "far slower".
Turned away Discussion banned
The statement from Mrs Clinton represents a tougher line than the Obama administration has taken so far when addressing China's human rights record, the BBC's Kim Ghattas reports from Washington.
She says Mrs Clinton had disappointed activists at the start of her tenure by saying human rights should not interfere in discussions with China about other issues, like climate change and North Korea.
Michael Bristow, BBC reporter in Beijing At first glance, it looked like any other day on Tiananmen Square this morning. The square was full of people, including those on Chinese tour groups. They were easily identifiable by their identical baseball hats.Michael Bristow, BBC reporter in Beijing At first glance, it looked like any other day on Tiananmen Square this morning. The square was full of people, including those on Chinese tour groups. They were easily identifiable by their identical baseball hats.
But a closer look revealed it was no ordinary day. The square was teaming with both uniformed and plainclothes security officials. Journalists banned from squareBut a closer look revealed it was no ordinary day. The square was teaming with both uniformed and plainclothes security officials. Journalists banned from square
The statement from Mrs Clinton represents a tougher line than the Obama administration has taken so far when addressing China's human rights record, the BBC's Kim Ghattas reports from Washington.
She says Mrs Clinton had disappointed activists at the start of her tenure by saying human rights should not interfere in discussions with China about other issues, like climate change and North Korea.
The Chinese Communist Party has never held an official inquiry into what happened in and around the square 20 years ago, and discussion of the issue is banned on the mainland.The Chinese Communist Party has never held an official inquiry into what happened in and around the square 20 years ago, and discussion of the issue is banned on the mainland.
Earlier, Xiang Xiaoji, now a US citizen, was trying to come to Hong Kong to join commemorative events being held to mark the anniversary. But he was refused entry and returned to New York. The Tiananmen protests started in Spring 1989, when students began calling for greater democracy and anti-corruption measures.
Another prominent protest leader, Wu'er Kaixi, flew from his home in Taiwan to Macau on Wednesday, but was detained on arrival. After weeks of protests, troops moved in on the night of 3-4 June 1989.
Mr Kaixi told reporters that he had wanted to go from Macau into mainland China, to see his parents.
Tiananmen Mothers
Tiananmen Square was open to visitors on the eve of the anniversary, but police were examining visitors at checkpoints and checking the bags and papers of people in the area.
Tiananmen Square: Map Send us your comments
Some journalists said they had been turned away from the site.
Ding Zilin, the head of a group called Tiananmen Mothers - made up of women whose children were shot dead in the crackdown - has reportedly been blocked from leaving her home, as has the wife of jailed dissident Hu Jia.
Bao Tong - a former official who was purged for sympathising with the Tiananmen protesters - was escorted out of Beijing last week.
In the run-up to the anniversary, the authorities also blocked social networking sites such as Twitter and Flickr.
Even the architect of Beijing's Bird's Nest Olympic stadium, Ai Weiwei, said his blogs had been blocked.
"Three of my blogs have all been shut down," he told the BBC. "I don't know the exact reason, but I can sense it's about the coming-up anniversary."
Influence from Beijing?
In Hong Kong, too, there was evidence of pre-anniversary sensitivities.
While one exiled Tiananmen leader, Xiong Yan, was allowed into Hong Kong at the weekend, another student leader, Xiang Xiaoji, and a Danish sculptor who made a statue entitled Pillar of Shame were both denied entry.
As a former British colony, Hong Kong is guaranteed autonomy and freedom of expression by the Chinese, but bans on Mr Xiang and others are adding to a growing sense of unease over how solid the territory's rights record really is.
According to the BBC's Vaudine England in Hong Kong, the ruling elite of Beijing-appointed civil servants and powerful business figures believes closeness to Beijing is the only guarantee of survival.
Yet the majority of Hong Kong people consistently suggest in surveys that they want the freedoms they were promised.