The U.S. Secretary of State and the President of Taiwan said on the 36th anniversary of the crackdown that the world will never forget the Tiananmen Square massacre, and the Chinese government is still trying to remove it from domestic memory.

There is no official death toll, but activists believe that hundreds (probably thousands) were killed by the Chinese People's Liberation Army on June 4, 1989 on the street near Tiananmen Square, Beijing Central Square.

"We commemorate the courage of the Chinese people who were killed in trying to exercise fundamental freedoms, and those who continued to be persecuted when seeking responsibility and justice on June 4, 1989," Marco Rubio, the top U.S. diplomat, said in a statement.

“(The Communist Party of China) is actively trying to review the facts, but the world will never forget it.”

In Facebook posts, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te also praised the protesters for their bravery.

"Authoritarian governments often choose to be silent and forget history, while democratic societies choose to keep the truth and refuse to forget the concept of human rights of those who have given their lives and their dreams," Lai said.

Protesters had gathered in the square for weeks before the 1989 Holocaust, calling for democratic reforms to the CCP. The student-led movement attracted worldwide attention, and it turned into horror when tanks rolled into the square to clear the camp. Several protesters were also killed during a smaller demonstration in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu.

The June 4th date remains one of China's strictest taboos, with the Chinese government employing a wide and increasingly complex resource to review any discussion or recognition within China. Internet examiners scrubbed even the most obscure reference to online space dates, and Chinese activists are often subject to increased surveillance or sent during “holidays” away from Beijing.

New research by human rights workers found that sensitive dates also indicate that the transnational repression of Chinese government critics has been intensified by the government and its agents.

Article 19 of Human Rights Research and Advocacy, published on Wednesday, said the Chinese government "has been involved in a systematic international movement against the Chinese Communist Party's transnational repression movement," which is related to Ugles, Tibetans and Hong Kongers, and is particularly likely to be affected.

The report cites the 2023 Freedom House study, which found that China has been causing about 30% of all physical transnational repression since 2014.

"Protesters targeted by (transnational repression) often live in fear of surveillance; targetedness; kidnapping and forced repatriation, especially around embassies and consulates; and "collective punishment" retaliation against relatives who are still in China, which also leads to cut ties with their families," the report said.

Article 19 Researchers found that with the night watchman in Tiananmen Square being eliminated in China, Pro-CCP agents appear to be commemoration activities targeting the rest of the world.

In 2022, a replica of Danish artist Jens Galschiøt’s statue, known as the “pillar of shame”, was destroyed in Taipei. The statue is intended to commemorate the people who died on June 4, 1989. The original was exhibited at the University of Hong Kong for 23 years until it was deleted by the university authorities in 2021.

Over the years, Hong Kong and Macau have been in a lesser degree and are the only places on Chinese territory where the event can be commemorated.

However, the annual vigil at Victoria Park has been banned since the pro-democracy protests in 2019 and the subsequent crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong. In recent years, some well-known activists have been prosecuted for trying to commemorate the day. Over the past three years, the venue has held a government-sponsored food carnival during the anniversary.

According to Hong Kong Free Media, there were a large number of police stations in Causeway Bay near the park on Tuesday. A performing artist, Chan Mei-Tung, was stopped to search and was later escorted from the area by police. According to media, she was standing on the road chewing gum. In 2022, Chen Zhan was arrested after peeling potatoes in the same area.

On Tuesday, Hong Kong CEO John Lee warned that any activity conducted on Wednesday must be "legal" but not specific. The main criticism of Hong Kong's National Security Law is that they are broad and the prohibited crimes are unknown.

One of the few people who remained outspoken 36 years ago was the rapidly aging "Tiananmen Mother", the parents of young people killed in the Holocaust, who called for official estimates.

Zhang Xianling, 88, a founding member, said she still lives under close surveillance. Zhang said: "I don't know why they are so afraid of me. I am 88 years old and if I can't walk 200 meters, I have to be in a wheelchair. Am I scary?"

Earlier this week, former Pla officer Li Xiaoming, who had lived in Australia for 25 years, spoke to Taiwanese media about his involvement in the crackdown on teenage soldiers in Tiananmen. Lee said he was forced to "warn the world" and face the threat of Chinese annexation to Taiwan.

"While CCP leadership regards the June 4 incident as a shameful event, what they learn from it is the need for strict control - eliminating any signs of turmoil in the early days, controlling and blocking public opinion, and brainwashing people. They strive to crush all the turmoil at the earliest stages," he said.