CFU PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 4th, 2026, 1:00 PM EST
Contact: contact@campaignforuyghurs.org
https://campaignforuyghurs.org/
WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 4th, 2026, marks 37 years since the Tiananmen Square Massacre. On this day, Campaign for Uyghurs (CFU) remembers the victims of this massacre and stands with those fighting for justice and democracy. To this day, the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) disregard for fundamental rights and crimes against humanity continues, affecting Uyghurs, Tibetans, Southern Mongolians, dissidents, and other marginalized communities.
On June 4, 1989, the Chinese government launched a violent crackdown on peaceful student-led protests in Tiananmen Square. CFU’s Honorary Chairman Wu’er Kaixi was among the most influential student leaders in the Tiananmen movement. Students called for democratic reforms, freedom of expression, and an end to systemic corruption. What began as a peaceful protest was met with military force, resulting in the killing of thousands.
In the decades since, the CCP has maintained strict censorship and expanded its system of repression. Today, this pattern continues in new forms, including the ongoing genocide against Uyghurs, the suppression of pro-democracy movements in Hong Kong, and the continued persecution of Tibetans, Christians, and Falun Gong practitioners for their beliefs. At the same time, the “Ethnic Unity Law” has been used to legalize the CCP’s cultural and religious destruction.
“Today, we commemorate the Tiananmen Square Massacre, a defining moment in history that the Chinese government has spent decades trying to erase. It stands as a stark reminder of Beijing’s long-standing repression of dissent and its refusal to tolerate calls for freedom and justice,” said CFU Executive Director Rushan Abbas. “Since the massacre, the machinery of repression has only expanded, increasingly targeting Uyghurs as well as other ethnic and religious groups. As we honor the courage of those who stood for freedom in 1989, we must also stand with those who continue that struggle today.”
CFU continues to advocate justice for victims of the Tiananmen Square Massacre and the ongoing Uyghur genocide. We call on the international community to mark this day not only in remembrance but by advancing accountability, amplifying the voices of survivors, and standing with those who continue to endure repression under the CCP.
