Updated: ChinaAid receives Democracy Award, holds Capitol Building Tiananmen Square rally

ChinaAid President Bob Fu speaks at a rally in front of the U.S. Capitol Building on June 4, 2019, the 30-year anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. (Photo: Courtesy of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation)

ChinaAid

Updated at 3:51 p.m. on July 12, 2019, to include video of Bob Fu’s Democracy Award acceptance speech.


(Washington, D.C.—June 5, 2019) The National Endowment for Democracy [NED] presented ChinaAid and two other human rights organizations with their 2019 Democracy Award yesterday, honoring their work on behalf of the Chinese people. Earlier that day, ChinaAid co-hosted a rally in front of the Capitol Building to memorialize the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre.

The recipients, which, in addition to ChinaAid, included the World Uyghur Congress and Tibet Action Institute, all work for human rights within China. The World Uyghur Congress works for human rights for China’s Uyghur population, which is currently undergoing severe persecution and racial profiling, and the Tibet Action Institute advocates for Tibetans, whom the Chinese government also oppresses. Dolkun Isa from the World Uyghur Congress, ChinaAid President Bob Fu, and Lhadon Tethong from the Tibet Action Institute received the awards on behalf of their respective organizations. U.S. Representative Mike McCaul presented the award.

U.S. Representative Mike McCaul (on stage, left) presents Bob Fu (on stage, right) with the National Endowment for Democracy’s 2019 Democracy Award. (Photo: ChinaAid)

The ceremony took place on June 4, exactly 30 years after the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, when China’s crackdown on pro-democracy protesters drew the eyes of the world to the struggle of the nation’s citizens against their government. The killings took place on June 4, 1989, leaving anywhere from hundreds to 10,000 people dead.

To commemorate the anniversary, ChinaAid and 22 other human rights and religious freedom organizations held a rally for the victims of the Tiananmen Square Massacre on the west lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building yesterday. Among those who attended the rally were Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, Congressmen Andy Levin, Chris Smith, and Jim McGovern, Chinese human rights lawyer Chen Guangcheng, International Campaign for Tibet President Matteo Mecacci. All six delivered speeches, with Pelosi emphasizing the need to honor the deceased by continuing their fight for freedom.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi addresses a rally commemorating the 30th anniversary of Tiananmen Square. (Photo: ChinaAid)

“Chinese government, I hope you can hear me,” she stated, “ … we want to mention the names of
prisoners of conscience on the floor of Congress.” She then went on to agree with previous remarks made by Smith, saying that people must either be on the side of an unknown man who stepped out in front of Chinese military tanks, during the massacre, effectively deterring them, or take the side of the Chinese government, and clearly proclaimed that those gathered at the rally, including the lawmakers, were on the side of the tank man.

She then unveiled a statue of the tank man, who has been missing since his confrontation with the military 30 years ago.

Additionally, Levin’s speech detailed his interactions with Tibetan Buddhist monks in China’s Qinghai and Gansu provinces, whom he says are not allowed to practice their faith freely.

Fu also spoke at the event, noting that the Chinese government has tried to make the nation forget Tiananmen and attempts to divide people by racial or religious groups. Then, the groups often experience government persecution and discrimination.

To hear Fu’s full acceptance speech for the Democracy Award, along with McCaul’s remarks, please watch the video below.

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