Overseas Chinese Democracy Coalition News and Article Release Issue Number: A940-O267

中国民主运动海外联席会议新闻与文章发布号：A940-O267

Release Date: June 4, 2016

发布日：2016年6月4日

Topic: All Walks of Life Gathered in Front of the Chinese Embassy for a Candlelight Memorial Service of the June 4 Massacre (Radio Free Asia)

标题：各界人士齐聚中国驻美使馆举行"六四"烛光追悼会（自由亚洲电台）

Original Language Version: Chinese (Chinese version at the end)

此号以中文为准（英文在前，中文在后）

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All Walks of Life Gathered in Front of the Chinese Embassy for a Candlelight Memorial Service of the June 4 Massacre

-- Radio Free Asia

To commemorate the 27th anniversary of the June 4 Massacre, the Independent Federation of the Chinese Students and Scholars (USA) and a number of pro-democracy groups and organizations held a candlelight memorial service on June 4 in front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC. Please watch the report our reporter Guo Yasa sent from the scene.

Reporter: I am now in front of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, USA. Nearly a hundred people from all walks of life around the world are gathering here to commemorate the June 4 Massacre in 1989 with a candlelight memorial service.

The memorial service is hosted by the Independent Federation of the Chinese Students and Scholars (USA) and cosponsored by the Wei Jingsheng Foundation, Greater Washington Network for Democracy in China (GWNDC), Oversea Chinese Democracy Coalition, Youth Council of China Democracy Party, FOHKC_DC (Federation of Overseas Hong Kong Chinese, DC), and Rallying for Democracy.

The service started with a period of silence for the victims of the June 4 Massacre. The silence was followed by opening remarks by Chen Chuangchuang, an alternative council member of the IFCSS. He said: "I absolutely believe that we do not need to wait another 27 years to enter into the Embassy opposite to us, on behalf of the Chinese government, to have an official memorial to the students and citizens who were martyrs sacrificing their lives for freedom and democracy in China."

You Weijie, head of the Tiananmen Mothers group also gave a recorded speech. It was followed by the presentation of a replica of the Goddess of Democracy statue erected in Tiananmen Square in 1989. The sculptor Chen Weiming said in a speech: "Now as we are facing the red flag that is stained by the blood of the Chinese people, we are saying 'no' to the national terrorism by the Chinese Communist Party of China. We want to show its tyranny to the world." In an interview by this station, he said: "we believe that this regime does not belong to the people, because they have not been legally elected by the people, so it is illegal."

Gu Yi, an alternate council member of the IFCSS, introduced the significance of this candlelight memorial service during the interview by the reporter of this station: "The purpose for IFCSS to hold a candlelight memorial service is to remember the big massacre that happened in Beijing back then. We would not forget the victims. We denounce the perpetrators. We announce solidarity with the legitimate demands of the bereaved families, and more importantly, we want to continue the spirit of these students of 1989."

At the end of the candlelight memorial service was a ceremony awarding the latest IFCSS 2016 "Spirit of Freedom Award". Awards were given to Zhang Haitao and Guo Feixiong. This coverage is by Radio Free Asia reporter Guo Yasa.

Link of the original report:

http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/renquanfazhi/grace-06042016231600.html