White House Hails Tiananmen Square Protesters

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is paying tribute to pro-democracy protesters who stood up against the Chinese government in Beijing's Tiananmen Square 25 years ago, and calling on Chinese authorities to account for those who were killed, were detained or went missing during and after the protests.

Press secretary Jay Carney says the U.S. "will always speak out in support of the basic freedoms the protesters at Tiananmen Square sought."

In a statement released today, Carney praises China for "extraordinary social and economic progress" over the last three decades and urges the Chinese government to guarantee "universal rights and fundamental freedoms" to all its citizens.

China has never issued a complete, formal accounting of the June 3-4, 1989, crackdown, in which soldiers killed hundreds of unarmed protesters and onlookers.

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