HUMAN rights campaigners staged a vigil in Swindon town centre to mark the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Three members of the Swindon and Marlborough Amnesty International Group spent an hour in Regent Circus yesterday lunchtime to inform people about the death of protesters in Beijing, China, in 1989.

The massacre saw Chinese Army troops fire on hundreds of students calling for democratic reform.

It is not known how many people were killed by the soldiers, and the trio of Swindon protesters wore red handkerchiefs over their mouths to symbolise the “wall of silence” they claimed had been created by the Chinese Government about the event.

The group also held placards with slogans about the anniversary and an iconic image of a man standing in front of a tank in the square.

Liza Lishman, 57, from Old Town, said: “If people are prepared to stand in front of a tank this is the least we can do.”

Emma Bushell, 32, from Old Town, said the group had laid out a banner which read “Respect human rights in China” in Mandarin.

She said about 60 people were members of the Swindon and Marlborough Amnesty International Group.

Other campaigns run by the group have included a bid to stop violence against women drive and another to raise awareness about Min Ko Naing, who was recently imprisoned for 65 years in Burma for a non-violent protest about rising fuel prices.

Ms Bushell said: “As well as remembering the people who sacrificed their life and freedom to ask for democracy we are asking the Chinese authorities to hold an inquiry into the events.”

Shoppers were asked to sign a petition addressed to Wu Bangguo, the chairman of the standing committee of the National People’s Congress of China, which asked him to initiate an open and independent inquiry into the events of June 1989.

Michele Rutland, 50, from Stratton, said: “The reaction we got was reasonably positive. People showed an interest and signed the petition.

“Events like this help to raise awareness and keep the memory alive of an event which was extremely significant and has still not been resolved by the Chinese government.”

A spokesman from the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China declined to comment.

To find out more about the protest send an email to emmabushell@yahoo.co.uk.