A group of Hong Kong activists on yesterday called on the head of a pro-Beijing political party to apologize for the recent remarks he made over China's 1989 Tiananmen democracy protest.
Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China printed a half-page advertisement in several Chinese-language newspapers yesterday over the remarks made by Ma Lik (
"Do not twist the truth of June 4. [We] demand Ma Lik to make an open apology," read the advertisement, published a day before a vigil to be held to commemorate those who died during the democracy movement.
The Chinese government sent troops into Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989, to quell six weeks of peaceful democracy protests, leading to the deaths of hundreds, if not thousands, of students and civilians.
Ma, chairman of the pro-Beijing Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said last month he was not happy that the event had been described as a "massacre."
His remarks immediately drew fire from the families of victims, as well as activists and politicians here. Ma later admitted his comments were "frivolous" and "rash."
The newspaper advertisement said the Alliance strongly protested Ma's "cold-blooded" and "shameless" remarks.
"We strongly demand that Ma Lik admits his mistakes and openly apologizes to the June 4 victims, the disabled people and the families," it said.
Yesterday, more than 100 members from the Alliance and the public ran a marathon across Hong Kong to mark the 18th anniversary of the demonstration and also demand that Chinese authorities make an apology over the event.
They also laid flowers at China's representative office in the special administrative region to commemorate those who died during the protest.
The killing was widely documented in Hong Kong newspapers and TV, with pictures and footage of troops opening fire on university students and the public.
Beijing has never apologized over the incident and has said previously the military action was necessary to prevent a counter-revolutionary uprising.
The bloody crackdown continues to be a taboo subject in China.
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