HONG KONG—On the evening of June 4, the 26th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre, 135,000 people gathered for a candlelight vigil in Hong Kong to memorialize the event.
The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China held the annual vigil at Victoria Park. Lights were switched off, candles were lit and held up, and a Tiananmen Square massacre video was played on the podium.
Several young students laid out wreaths of flowers for a monument to the martyrs for democracy, and each victim’s name was read aloud. Secondary and primary school students lit a torch together at the podium, symbolizing passing on the memories and hope.
Mak Hoi-wah, vice-chairman of the Alliance, read obituaries, followed by a minute of silence with all the participants.
For the first time, the Hong Kong Federation of Students was absent from the memorial. However, representatives from four universities and institutions gave speeches and then burned a copy of the Hong Kong Basic Law onstage to protest the damage done to the principle of “one country, two systems” that sets Hong Kong apart from mainland China.
Alliance chairman Albert Ho Chun-yan read the declaration of the assembly condemning the inhuman massacre that took place 26 years ago.
“The small lights of the candles reawaken our conscience and recall our enthusiasm,” he said. “In the face of this adverse situation, we have to say goodbye to cynicism and refuse to accept changes that are forced on us. Say no to totalitarianism.”
Ho said that the dictatorial nature of the Communist Party has been fully exposed during its dealing with the Hong Kong electoral reform.
“Under the cover of national security, the National People’s Congress’s 8/31 resolution is to deny genuine universal suffrage in Hong Kong,” he said.
He was referring to the decision made by the National People’s Congress (NPC) last Aug. 31 that Hong Kong people would have the freedom to vote in the 2017 Chief Executive election, but only if the candidates were chosen by a pro-Beijing committee. Hongkongers did not consider this to be real universal suffrage.
“We will stand in the front line for democratic rights and continue to strive for true universal suffrage and support China’s democracy movement,” Ho said.
Ho thought 135,000 attendees was a considerable number. He was moved by the Hong Kong people’s determination to ask to redress the June 4, 1989 crackdown—to ask that the CCP, at a minimum, no longer treat the students who were part of the democracy movement as criminals.
At the end of the candlelight vigil, the Standing Committee of the Alliance burned a condolence book while everyone held candles. The memorial ended with singing and mottos.
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