Congress recognizes 25th anniversary of Tiananmen Square

WASHINGTON, May 29 (UPI) -- Congressional leaders looked back 25 years to the Tiananmen Square crackdown in China to condemn the country's continuing censorship of political dissent.

The House passed a resolution Wednesday to commemorate the anniversary of the June 4, 1989 incident in a Beijing Square that killed hundreds, maybe thousands of protestors.

"Twenty-five years ago, as we all know, people rose up in Tiananmen Square to demand their rights, to demand dignity and respect, to demand a voice," said Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Thursday. "They wanted an end to corruption and a beginning of real economic and political reform."

"Twenty-five years later, the spirit of Tiananmen endures, yet the challenge remains," she said. "The Chinese government censors any mention of June 4th."

Chinese leaders have gone significant lengths to tamp down on remembrances inside the country, blocking references to the date online and keeping dissidents under house arrests for months ahead of the anniversary.

"Measure this cowardice against the courage it takes for an innocent man to pin a sign on his chest that says 'aim your guns here," said House Speaker John Boehner. "The U.S. House of Representatives is committed to remembering Tiananmen Square so we can keep alive the hunger for freedom, the hunger for the truth."