Hong Kongers are seeking innovative ways to commemorate the victims of China’s Tiananmen Square Massacre after authorities banned an annual vigil and vowed to stamp out any protests on the anniversary today.
Discussion of tanks and troops quelling democracy protesters in Beijing on June 4, 1989, is all but forbidden in mainland China and there is heavy censorship of the images from the crackdown so well known in the rest of the world.
However, in Hong Kong the date has been remembered with huge candlelight vigils in Victoria Park for the past three decades.
Photo: AP
Last year’s vigil was banned for the first time because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but thousands of people defied police and rallied anyway.
This year’s vigil has been banned again, ostensibly because of the pandemic.
Officials have also warned that the National Security Law could be wielded against Tiananmen mourners.
So Hong Kongers are getting creative.
Local artist Kacey Wong (黃國才) has collected hundreds of spent candle stubs from previous vigils and plans to give them to residents tonight.
“It is time to redistribute them to the people of Hong Kong so they can collect them, preserve them and put them in a safe place,” Wong told reporters.
Wong has previously turned the candles into artwork, but will give them away this year at two stores of local clothing brand Chickeeduck, which sells pro-democracy merchandise.
“Each burned candle contains a person’s mourning toward those who sacrificed themselves in pursuit of democracy, as well as one’s longing for democracy, a mix of complex emotions,” Wong said. “It’s a testimony of hope... I hope they can continue to shine the way towards freedom and democracy.”
Historically, the Tiananmen vigil candles are lit at 8:09pm — representing 1989.
A vigil organiser, former Hong Kong legislator Albert Ho (何俊仁) — who is serving a prison term — said that Hong Kongers could light candles or shine mobile phone lights in their local neighborhoods.
“We can regard the whole of Hong Kong as Victoria Park,” he told the South China Morning Post before he was sentenced last week for attending previous democracy protests.
Social media presents another avenue.
Artist Tozer Pak (白雙全) has called on residents to write the numbers six and four — representing June 4 — on light switches to mark Tiananmen every time they turn them on.
“Guard the truth and refuse to forget,” Pak wrote on Facebook.
FRAUD ALLEGED: The leader of an opposition alliance made allegations of electoral irregularities and called for a protest in Tirana as European leaders are to meet Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama’s Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections, securing him his fourth term, official results showed late on Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Albanian Central Election Commission. Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to initial results, Rama was also leading there. According to projections, the Socialist Party could have more lawmakers than in 2021 elections. At the time, it won 74 seats in the
EUROPEAN FUTURE? Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama says only he could secure EU membership, but challenges remain in dealing with corruption and a brain drain Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama seeks to win an unprecedented fourth term, pledging to finally take the country into the EU and turn it into a hot tourist destination with some help from the Trump family. The artist-turned-politician has been pitching Albania as a trendy coastal destination, which has helped to drive up tourism arrivals to a record 11 million last year. US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, also joined in the rush, pledging to invest US$1.4 billion to turn a largely deserted island into a luxurious getaway. Rama is expected to win another term after yesterday’s vote. The vote would
CANCER: Jose Mujica earned the moniker ‘world’s poorest president’ for giving away much of his salary and living a simple life on his farm, with his wife and dog Tributes poured in on Tuesday from across Latin America following the death of former Uruguayan president Jose “Pepe” Mujica, an ex-guerrilla fighter revered by the left for his humility and progressive politics. He was 89. Mujica, who spent a dozen years behind bars for revolutionary activity, lost his battle against cancer after announcing in January that the disease had spread and he would stop treatment. “With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of our comrade Pepe Mujica. President, activist, guide and leader. We will miss you greatly, old friend,” Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi wrote on X. “Pepe, eternal,” a cyclist shouted out minutes later,
Myanmar’s junta chief met Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) for the first time since seizing power, state media reported yesterday, the highest-level meeting with a key ally for the internationally sanctioned military leader. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing led a military coup in 2021, overthrowing Myanmar’s brief experiment with democracy and plunging the nation into civil war. In the four years since, his armed forces have battled dozens of ethnic armed groups and rebel militias — some with close links to China — opposed to its rule. The conflict has seen Min Aung Hlaing draw condemnation from rights groups and pursued by the