For the past 30 years or so, the June Fourth Gala in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park has been the world’s largest June Fourth memorial service. However, with the rapid deterioration of the situation in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong government banned the party for the first time last year on the grounds of epidemic, and even sentenced a number of pro-democracy activists who participated in the mourning to jail. As the first June 4 vigil after the implementation of the National Security Law is approaching, the pro-China media has recently leaked the news that Beijing will strictly ban the June 4 vigil this year, which coincides with the Communist Party’s 100th anniversary. How can the people of Hong Kong continue to light the candles that have been lit for 31 years under high pressure?
Wang Dan initiative Hong Kong people at home windowsill lit candles to mourn June 4
The leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Federation: will be in prison to mourn the June 4
Fearless suppression of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the June 4 march party will continue to organize
June 4 32nd anniversary is approaching, Hong Kong Victoria Park candle light is bright is extinguished, become the Hong Kong freedom and democracy barometer. The pro-China online media “Hong Kong 01” has recently “released”, citing sources, that this year is the first June 4 after the implementation of the “National Security Law”, and coincides with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, Beijing will be “unprecedented tough hand”, strictly prohibit the June 4 candlelight vigil in Victoria Park.
On May 19, 2021, from 5-7pm, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (HKASPDMC) will set up a street station in Causeway Bay, handing out candles and candle holders, and collecting signatures from the public for the “Martyrs of Democracy Forever” condolence book, in memory of the martyrs who died fighting for democracy. (Support the Facebook)
Targeted attacks may no longer be limited to political figures
The report said that Beijing will qualify all attendees as not “patriots” and prohibit them from running for election in the future, and current district councilors may be disqualified for this reason.
Last year, the Hong Kong Police Force opposed the June 4 candlelight vigil for the first time on the grounds of epidemic. Thousands of Hong Kong people spontaneously went to Victoria Park to light candles, and the Hong Kong police subsequently “settle accounts” and arrested and prosecuted 24 democrats, including the secretary-general of the Hong Kong House of Representatives, Wong Chi-fung, and four others, who were convicted and imprisoned early this month. And this year, even ordinary citizens may be responsible for lighting candles in the Victoria Park and criminal liability.
Albert Ho is expected to mass arrests called on Hong Kong people “flexible response”
In his last interview before losing his freedom, the vice chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, Mr. Albert Ho, said that Beijing may have issued a “death warrant” to prevent the images of the Victoria Park mourning the June 4 Incident from appearing on the TV screen again. The authorities are expected to make mass arrests this year, calling on Hong Kong people to “respond flexibly”.
The Vice Chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Federation of Chinese People’s Democratic Movements of China (HKASPDMC), Mr. Ho Chun-yan, and the Secretary of the HKASPDMC, Mr. Choi Yiu-cheong, were charged on October 1, 2019 with revocation of security and remanded in custody. The same case, Lee Cheuk-yan, chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, is serving his sentence for other cases. The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (HKASPDMC) will continue to prepare for the 32nd anniversary of the June Fourth Incident and join the Hong Kong people in paying tribute to the martyrs who died fighting for democracy. (HKASPDMC Facebook)
Albert Ho said: “If people still come forward to mourn June 4 in Victoria Park, there may be mass arrests this year, it is clear. Once arrested, they may be quickly sent to court for an immediate trial. I appeal to everyone to be flexible to deal with the situation this year, we do not always have to do so, but the situation this year is very serious.”
Wang Dan advocates for candlelight on the windowsill of his home
What are the ways to “respond flexibly”? Wang Dan, the leader of the 1989 student movement, published an “initiative for Hong Kong people” on Facebook, in which he estimated that the Hong Kong government would not allow the June 4 party in Victoria Park this year. He called for the people of Hong Kong to light a candle on the windowsill of their homes on June 4 to make Hong Kong a city of candlelight and show the world the will to “never forget, never give up”.
Wang Dan pointed out that the candlelight in Victoria Park has been a symbol of Hong Kong people’s philosophy and the spirit of 1989 for many years, so “we cannot let this most beautiful scenery of Hong Kong go out”.
The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, the Tiananmen Mothers Movement and the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions will set up street stalls in various districts in May to distribute white candles and electronic candles in support of the Tiananmen Mothers, calling on the public not to forget June 4 and to mourn the dead in their own way.” . (Support Facebook)
Online mourning, mass mourning let candlelight bloom everywhere
The other Hong Kong Alliance in Support of the Federation of Vice President Zou Xingtong said earlier, will insist on bringing candlelight into the Victoria Park, has also prepared a backup plan, if the host of the mourning of June 4 members arrested, the Alliance will start the online program to launch a global mourning campaign. She also called on the public to mourn individually, uploading candlelight photos to social media platforms.
The Justice and Peace Commission of the Hong Kong Catholic Diocese also said that it would hold a Mass on the night of June 4 this year to mourn the victims of the 4 June incident, writing in a post that “we mourn the dead who died at the turn of spring and summer, and we miss their mothers” and “let us light candles and offer a Mass for them, not forgetting history and mourning the dead. The details of the Mass will be announced later.
On May 20, 2021, from 5-7pm, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (HKASPDMC), together with the Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions (CTU) and the Tiananmen Mothers’ Movement (TMM), will set up a “June 4” publicity street station on the footbridge to Mongkok East Station. We are calling for participation from Hong Kong and around the world to upload the video and text recordings with the #6432Justice hashtag to all social media platforms. “The “#6432Justice Global Wall of Condolence” https://my.walls.io/pb54k (Twitter and IG messages) invites sign-ups for the online condolence book for the victims of June 4. http://bit.ly/june4condolence. (Support Facebook)
Tiananmen Mothers: Whatever way Hong Kong people mourn, we support
The “Tiananmen Mothers” spokeswoman You Weijie said in an interview with this station that the June 4 tragedy occurred in Beijing, and as a victim, she has been hoping to commemorate it publicly in Beijing, but has been prohibited from doing so. She expressed her gratitude to the people of Hong Kong for not forgetting June 4 and lighting candles for them to mourn their loved ones. She believes that she welcomes whatever way the people of Hong Kong mourn, because it represents their love for peace and condemnation of atrocities. She described her relationship with the people of Hong Kong as “heart to heart.
Because every time I see the people of Hong Kong in Victoria Park, the candlelight that night touches my heart, and I also have hope. This is the wish in everyone’s heart that all people will live in a peaceful environment. I think this kind of wish, I was very moved to see it, although I can’t go in Beijing, I also wish I could light up the candlelight to mourn publicly.”
In May, the Alliance, the Tiananmen Mothers Movement and the CTU set up street stations in successive districts to distribute white foreign candles and electronic candles in support of the Tiananmen Mothers, calling on the public not to forget June 4 and to mourn the dead in their own way and publicly.” (HKASPDMC Facebook)
She said she understands if the Hong Kong government does not approve the rally because of the epidemic, but if the Hong Kong government is using the National Security Law as a reason to ban the candlelight vigil in Victoria Park from now on, she condemns it. She stressed that mourning for June 4 is a patriotic act, and will not affect public safety in Hong Kong.
Outside the party, the Alliance is in a crisis of survival
In addition to the June 4 candlelight vigil, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China is also facing another hidden worry. One of the “five platforms” of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (HKASPDMC), including “ending one-party dictatorship,” is also the slogan of the annual June 4 vigil. The slogan was attacked earlier by pro-Beijing scholar Tian Feilong, who said the platform showed that the Alliance was a “politically subversive organization. On Thursday (20), when representatives of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China and the Hong Kong Police Force discussed the arrangements for the June 4 march at the end of the month, they were asked for the first time about the meaning of the content of the Alliance’s “five platforms”, but did not mention whether the Alliance was an illegal organization. The police did not make any further inquiries after the League’s explanation of the content of the five platforms.
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