37th Anniversary of Tiananmen: Taiwan Warns Against Compromise with Authoritarianism

Taiwan marked the 37th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown with a memorial event titled "Memory Without Borders, Resistance Without Borders." Held at Liberty Square, the gathering saw participants form candlelight messages to honor the victims of the 1989 crackdown.

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The CCP's long-arm jurisdiction and cross-border suppression against Taiwan have exceeded 120 cases.

During the event, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Shen Yu-chung highlighted that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has engaged in over 120 documented cases of "long-arm jurisdiction" and cross-border suppression against Taiwanese individuals and entities. He urged the Taiwanese public to recognize the CCP's ambitions, warning that compromising with authoritarianism or accepting "peaceful unification" would ultimately result in Taiwan losing its democracy and freedom.

Shen Yu-chung drew parallels between the 1989 crackdown and the current situation in China, referencing survivor Feng Congde's memories of the rain during the Tiananmen protests. He criticized the CCP's indoctrination of young Chinese with Xi Jinping Thought and nationalism, turning them into tools of the state. The erosion of freedom and democracy in Hong Kong under the "one country, two systems" framework was also cited as a cautionary tale, forcing many young Hongkongers into exile.

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If we compromise with authoritarianism and accept so-called peaceful unification, what we will be commemorating at this evening's gathering is likely Taiwan's loss of democracy and freedom.

He emphasized that a nation's greatness should not be built on suppressing its people or political persecution. The CCP's pressure on Taiwan to accept its "one China" narrative and the "1992 Consensus" framework, Shen argued, represents a surrender disguised as peaceful unification. He called for unity in defending national sovereignty to preserve Taiwan's democratic way of life and prevent the sacrifice of future generations.

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The Tiananmen Square incident, in a strict sense, has not yet ended.

Tseng Chien-yuan, executive director of the Chinese Association for Democracy, stated that the association's concern for human rights in China stems from universal values, not political disputes. He noted that the Tiananmen Square incident remains unresolved, with the CCP having suppressed democratic aspirations within China and later dismantling Hong Kong's autonomy. Tseng warned that Taiwan's democracy is under severe threat from the CCP's infiltration into its political system, including its parliament, through bribery and intimidation. He stressed that Taiwan's continued existence and commitment to democracy and freedom serve as the greatest refutation of the CCP's narrative.

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Taiwan's democracy is under severe threat from the CCP, which is extending its reach into Taiwan's national institutions, even into parliament, through bribery and threats.