A Crime to Remember June 4

The last candlelight vigil in Victoria Park on June 4, 2019

In Hong Kong it is the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, a tragic anniversary that used to be marked with tens of thousands of people descending on Victoria Park for the candlelight vigil.

Upon entering the Causeway Bay park, attendees passed by a small statue of the Goddess of Democracy and received a white candle and a conical paper cup with a small hole cut at the bottom as a candle holder, and a program.

The Goddess of Democracy statue

People sat on football pitches and quietly waited for the event to start, where every year the same songs were played, the same kind of speeches made, calling for the Chinese government to be accountable for the deaths of Beijing residents in and around Tiananmen Square. 

There would be a voice recording from one of the Tiananmen Mothers, whose son or daughter died during the bloody crackdown, continuing to mourn their loss without recognition from the government, and a survivor or witness would also give a speech, telling the assembled crowd what they had heard and seen.

Songs were sung, slogans chanted, and candles lit -- with people in awe of the magical sight of these small lights that shone so brightly in the dark. The candles were a powerful reminder of why it was important to gather and remember.

This ritual happened for 30 consecutive years until suddenly overnight it has become a crime to remember June 4 after the national security law was implemented in July 2020.

Some of the organisers of the vigil, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, including Chow Hang-tung, Albert Ho Chun-yan, and Lee Cheuk-yan were arrested and charged with violating the national security law. They are now remanded in custody.

Kwan and Lau (middle) surrounded by police

The subsequent anniversaries were "cancelled" due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and this year is the first one free of restrictions.

However, Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu refused to clearly state if people could commemorate June 4, saying they should obey the law.

But some people were undeterred yesterday and there are reports that up to eight people were arrested for publicly marking the anniversary of the crackdown.

Two people, Kwan Chun-pong and Lau Ka-yee wore black T-shirts and a red cross painted on their mouths, stood by Victoria Park and planned to stage a 24-hour hunger strike. But they were taken away by the police.

Meanwhile two artists outside the Sogo Department Store in Causeway Bay were taken away by the police too. One of them, Sanmu Chan shouted, "Do not forget June 4! Don't be afraid of them, Hongkongers!" as two police held each arm and escorted him away. He was even verbally warned by another officer to shut up, but the artist continued chanting.

Chan (middle) told Hongkongers not to forget 6/4

Another couple in white who held chrysanthemum flowers were taken away. When asked if they were being arrested, the young man said he didn't know why.

After people could not go to Victoria Park, the Tiananmen Square Museum in Mong Kok became the next pilgrimage spot, but then it too was unceremoniously shut down just before June 4, 2021. Police raided the museum and took away all of the artefacts that had been collected over the years.

Now Hongkongers can only remember the anniversary in their hearts, and also reflect on how much the city has changed in such a short period of time.

While the authorities are trying very hard to make people forget June 4, they cannot succeed. And the diaspora outside of Hong Kong are even more determined to keep the memory alive, ensuring the candles continue to shine brightly.