On December 28, 2024, family members of June Fourth victims residing in Beijing gathered together, marking their first reunion after several years of hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bound by deep affection and shared resolve, the attendees felt an enduring kinship despite years apart, greeting one another with heartfelt warmth.
Yet the reality remains stark and poignant. The toll of time was written across every face. Many elderly parents could no longer attend this annual gathering due to failing health, even as their thoughts remained steadfast with fellow families who suffered the same loss; it is often only through home visits that their greetings can be relayed to the group. Thirty-five years ago, the wives, husbands, the wounded, and the siblings of the victims were in their twenties and thirties. After thirty-five years of hardship, their youth has vanished; their temples are now silvered as they step into their senior years beyond age sixty.
Looking back, countless members of our group have passed away without ever seeing justice served for their loved ones who were innocently slaughtered. This remains one of the cruelest realities in human history. Over the short decade since 2014, profound changes have overtaken the families who gather for the New Year:
In a photograph from the 2014 gathering, six bereaved family members—Xu Jue, Yin Min, Gao Jie, Wang Shuanglan, Tan Shuqin, and Feng Youxiang—have since passed away.
In the February 2, 2015 photo of the Beijing gathering, Mr. Jiang Peikun is seated on the far right in the front row, and Ms. Ding Zilin is third from the right in the second row.
A photograph from late 2019 captured the gathering just before such reunions were suspended due to the pandemic.
At the 2025 New Year gathering, Liu Xiuchen is second from the left in the front row, and Qi Zhiying is seated in the center.
During the gathering, You Weijie, a member of the group’s Service Team, delivered brief remarks:
She shared that in November, she and fellow service team members visited elderly parents in Beijing and reached out via letters and WeChat to bereaved families living outside the capital. At the same time, they distributed the final, untouched portion of donations received years ago from the citizens of Hong Kong. It was hoped that these grassroots contributions, brimming with solidarity and love, would bring them practical relief and comfort.
During these outreach efforts, they learned that several more family members had passed away over the past two years. In particular, a father named Wang Deyi died this past November, just one day before they were scheduled to visit him—a heartbreaking loss. Another member, Zhao Jinsuo, who was wounded in 1989 and was battling lung cancer, passed away on Christmas Day, December 25. Had he survived, he would have joined this gathering to see everyone. Receiving this news was a profound shock and brought deep sorrow. She urged everyone present to take care of their health.
Special mention was made of the two mothers in attendance: Mama Qi, who is in her eighties, and Mama Liu, in her relatively younger seventies, who attended alongside her husband. In total, three elderly parents were present. The remainder of the gathering comprised spouses, the wounded, and brothers and sisters of the victims. She expressed sincere gratitude to all who attended.
Though decades have passed since the June Fourth Massacre, the group has consistently received the support and assistance of people of conscience worldwide. You Weijie conveyed our shared gratitude to them. We will never forget, and people of conscience will never forget the June Fourth Massacre; only the authorities remain silent.
The June Fourth Massacre that took place in China’s capital in 1989 has now reached its 35th anniversary. As 2025 begins, the 36th anniversary is only half a year away. What will happen to our community in these coming six months remains entirely unpredictable. For instance, we had hoped to hold a collective memorial service for the 35th anniversary. This tradition began on the 10th anniversary of the massacre, where representative family members gathered on-site every five years to pay tribute—a solemn moment to honor their loved ones and give voice to their enduring pain. Over the past twenty-five years leading up to the 35th anniversary, the families were prevented from holding these memorials on two occasions: the 25th anniversary and the 35th anniversary, both forcibly suppressed by state police. This remains an everlasting wound in the hearts of the families. Mourning loved ones innocently cut down by gunfire is entirely beyond reproach—morally, emotionally, and legally. The government has no right to interfere.
We reiterate our appeal to all people of conscience throughout the world who love peace and abhor slaughter: stand with us in condemning the tyranny of the government that mobilized troops to gun down innocent civilians. As long as the authorities refuse to make the truth of the June Fourth Massacre known to the world and apologize to the victims' families, we will never surrender our right to defend human dignity.
Beijing Family Members of the Tiananmen Mothers
January 4, 2025
