Dictionary Definition:

vindicate *verb*
- 1 a: to free from allegation or blame
- b (1): confirm, substantiate
- (2): to provide justification or defense for : justify
- c : to protect from attack or encroachment : defend
- 2 : avenge
- 3 : to maintain a right to
- 4 obsolete : to set free : deliver

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vindicate

So imagine a person defending against an assailant and inadvertently kills him.

The polices comes and accuses the person for murder, but its self defence.

So the man get convicted for murder.

Sure, his family may believe him. Some friend may believe him. A rebel group might also believe him.

But most people either don’t care or just believe what the police says.

The man spends life in prison. And his identity, records, papers are all shredded.

He may be in the right, but that’s not exactly being “vindicated”.

Vindicated is:

to free from allegation or blame

Yea maybe in the west, but in Mainland China, it doesn’t exist. Those who witnessed it thinks it was a riot.

Being “Vindicated” would be the CCP topples, and the new government shares the truth.