Матери Тяньаньмэнь: Борьба за правду и память о жертвах 1989 года

Group of Chinese democracy activists
The Tiananmen Mothers (天安门母亲) is a group of Chinese democracy activists promoting a change in the government's position over the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre. It is led by Ding Zilin, a retired university professor whose teenage son was shot and killed by government troops during the protests. The group – comprising the parents, friends and relatives of victims of the massacre – formed in September 1989 when Ding, along with her husband Jiang Peikun, met another mother, Zhang Xianling, whose 19 year old son was also killed on June 4, 1989. As well as campaigning, the group also disseminates information about the events to the public, including through the internet. For her efforts, Ding has been hailed as an "advocate for the dead".

A large group of Beijing based student activists (along with nearby people) were shot on the orders of Deng Xiaoping, then a chief military commander of the People's Liberation Army. This happened during the summer of 1989, centered around sunset in the evening on June 4. Beijing medical doctors from the very beginning recall critically injured patients being carried into hospitals of nearly all specialties, throughout the night continuing into noon.

The Chinese government currently views the protests as a "counterrevolutionary uprising". The Tiananmen Mothers group, which was conducted without official approval, put forward a five point demand to the Chinese government in relation to the protest: The government made a payout of 70,000 yuan for the first time in 2006 to one of the victims families. The move was welcomed by Zilin, though she said it was unlikely to indicate a change in the government's position.

The Tiananmen Mothers have made many public appeals, challenging the government. They protested to the National People's Congress, the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the judiciary and the population. The group has also opened up contacts with UN Human Rights Council and foreign media, issuing a video demanding the government reassess Tiananmen. On the tenth anniversary, despite memories of the event fading due to strong government censorship, Jiang Qisheng, who had since been released, drafted a letter along with fifteen others appealing for quiet commemoration by lighting candles in cities across China. He played a major role in organising the event, posting flyers on lampposts calling on the population to "light a myriad of candles to collectively commemorate the brave spirits of June Fourth" and as a result, several petitions to hold protest were submitted, but were rejected by government authorities. Jiang was arrested on shortly before the anniversary; in court on November 1, 1999, he defended himself, maintaining he was exercising freedom of speech and recalling a previous reversal of the government's term "counterrevolutionary" after the Gang of Four and Cultural Revolution. They asserted that they were exercising their political rights, and not engaging in any illegal activities. In 2009, the organisation urged the government to "break the taboo" surrounding the incident. Analysts say pressure by groups like the Tiananmen Mothers may eventually lead to some acknowledgment of the deaths during the crackdown, such as a plaque placed on the square, but most agree that will not come soon.

Ding Zilin, Zhang Xianling, who lost her 19 year old son, and Huang Jinping, who lost her 30 year old husband were detained in March 2004. Authorities first denied the arrests, but later said they had been detained for engaging in what were described as illegal activities sponsored by overseas forces. They were released later in the week but remained under close surveillance in the run up to the 15th anniversary of the protests. The women have been under what advocates describe as house arrest. All their calls are monitored and they are told not to talk to other activists, with foreign media, and with human rights organizations.

On June 4, 2007, the Chengdu Evening News ran a one page line commemorating the Tiananmen Mothers, stating, "Saluting the strong mothers of June 4th victims." Officials at the newspaper refused to answer questions regarding the advert. It was later suggested that the person who ran the advert was unaware of the significance of 6/4, instead being told it was related to a mining disaster that took place. Three editors were later fired from the paper.