On June 4, 1989, Chinese troops suppressed the demonstrators around Tiananmen Square (File)
Hong Kong:
Many Hong Kong people will find their own way to mark the 31st anniversary of the opening of Chinese troop fire on demonstrators in and around Tiananmen Square, after a first candlelight vigil was canceled for the first time due to the coronavirus.
The anniversary of the crackdown on student-led democratic protests is of particular significance this year, a week after Beijing gave the green light to move forward with Hong Kong’s national security legislation, which, according to critics, would reduce freedoms in the former British colony. .
“I can’t keep my mouth shut. If people tell me to keep quiet, I won’t,” said office worker Daisy Lam, 52, who has attended almost every watch since June 4 1989 with his children.
Former Hong Kong student leader Chan Ching-wah, 56, was in Beijing on June 4, 1989, and recalled the kindness of a customs officer who allowed him to take a bag full of photos and videos of the crackdown. military when he left Beijing.
“I feel like I never left because the danger Hong Kong faces, the repression it will face is no small task,” Chan told Reuters as he held a photo of him in Tiananmen Square.
“I hope the battle for Hong Kong will not lead to a crackdown like the one on June 4.”
Fears have intensified over what many Hong Kong residents see as Beijing’s encroachment on its freedoms and its impact on the city’s status as a global financial hub.
Mainland China and the Hong Kong authorities reject criticism of security legislation and insist that the city’s high degree of autonomy will remain intact under the “one country, two systems” formula.
In recent years, Hong Kong’s candlelight memorials have drawn tens of thousands to the city’s Victoria Park.
But police said this week that a mass rally would pose a serious public health threat just as the city reported its first locally transmitted coronavirus cases in two weeks.
Hong Kong has banned gatherings of more than eight people to prevent the spread of the virus.
Carrie Lam, head of the besieged city, said Tuesday that the restrictions were not intended to limit freedom and that public health was also part of national security.
Despite the ban, online forums and the vigil organizer called on people to light candles to remember those who perished.
Priscilla Leung, a retired civil servant who volunteers for non-governmental organizations, said she would continue to educate young people about the crackdown on Tiananmen, which is a taboo subject on the continent. The anniversary is not marked by the government.
“I have already purchased electronic candles and plan to light them on the streets,” said Leung.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s one person or a few people, as long as there is fire in our hearts, we can get the message out to the next generation.”
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
