US lawmakers John Moolenaar and Christopher Smith have requested the Justice Department and FBI investigate vandalism at the June 4th Memorial Museum in El Monte, California. The museum reported that unknown individuals broke in on May 31, spray-painted exhibits, and damaged property, causing serious damage.
37 years ago, China's military violently suppressed pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square. The government has never released a full death toll, with estimates in the thousands. The event remains a sensitive and taboo topic in China.
Former Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian stated on Facebook that Deng Xiaoping, not Zhao Ziyang, ordered the military crackdown on students during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. Chen cited "Prisoner of the State: The Secret Journal of Zhao Ziyang" and declassified US files suggesting 10,454 deaths.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that China's censorship cannot erase the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, asserting that victims will eventually be vindicated. He marked the 37th anniversary of the event where the Chinese Communist Party used the military to suppress peaceful demonstrators.
Beijing authorities have banned the "Tiananmen Mothers" group from visiting graves on June 4th, the anniversary of the 1989 crackdown. The group protested the ban, calling it inhumane and illegal, marking the first time their annual memorial visits have been prohibited.
