(Reuters) -U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Tuesday praised the bravery of the Chinese people who were killed in a bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters at Tiananmen Square in Beijing 36 years ago. "Today we commemorate the bravery of the Chinese people who were killed as they tried to exercise their fundamental freedoms, as well as those who continue to suffer persecution as they seek accountability and justice for the events of June 4, 1989," Rubio said in a statement. "The CCP actively tries to censor the facts, but the world will never forget," he said, referring to the Chinese Communist Party.