Chinese dissident Wang Dan (王丹), one of the student leaders at the 1989 Tiananmen Square protest, who is now teaching in Taiwan, entered Hong Kong yesterday while on his way from the US.
Radio Television Hong Kong reported that Wang, who was exiled from China after the protests, had been delayed at Hong Kong’s airport early in the morning because his flight to Taiwan was suspended because of Typhoon Saola.
“It’s magic to step onto Hong Kong soil,” Wang said in a Facebook post.
In an interview on Hong Kong Radio, Wang said he did not intend to enter Hong Kong, but described the situation as “symbolically significant.” He said he would not “seek to sneak in” to Hong Kong, but believes that “one day” he will be allowed to visit.
In January last year, Wang tried to obtain permission to visit Hong Kong for the funeral of veteran democracy activist Szeto Wah (司徒華), a politician affiliated with the pan-democracy camp in Hong Kong who had helped many dissidents flee China after the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Beijing, which saw hundreds, if not thousands, killed.
At the time, Wang had pledged to attend Wah’s memorial in a personal capacity and said he had no political motive. However, his request was denied with no reason given by the Hong Kong authorities.
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A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
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