Tiananmen Square Anniversary Passes Quietly; Olympics Spotlighted Instead

The 19^th anniversary of a human rights protest that turned deadly in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square passed quietly Wednesday as security forces kept a close watch.

Access to the square was carefully monitored as security officials searched bags for flyers or banners containing dissident messages. Police dressed in street clothes even combed the crowds with cameras to supplement the dozens of permanently mounted cameras focused on the square.

Discussions of the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protestors, in which hundreds or possibly thousands were killed by military assault forces, remain taboo within China. Communist leaders labeled the protest an anti-government riot, and have never offered a full accounting of the crackdown.

Human rights groups have called for the release of prisoners still being held for their role in the Tiananmen Square protests, saying China should prove to “the global Olympic audience it’s serious about human rights.”

During vigorous campaigning to host the 2008 Summer Olympic sporting events, China pledged to improve its human rights situation.

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