Twenty years after China's bloody crackdown on demonstrators at Tiananmen Square in Beijing, the United States is urging the government to come to terms with its violent actions.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued a statement saying the 20th anniversary of the "violent suppression of demonstrations in Tiananmen Square by Chinese authorities" should be a time for reflection on the loss of hundreds of innocent lives and the meaning of events that preceded that fateful day.

Clinton urged Beijing to release prisoners still serving sentences in connection with events surrounding the crackdown, cease harassment of participants in the demonstrations and begin a dialogue with family members of victims.