Hong Kong Halted for an Unprecedented Mourning of Former CCP Leader Jiang Zemin

The elderly were made to stand for an hour

Photo of a live stream broadcast of the mourning of Jiang Zimin service at the Sau Mau Ping Community Hall. (Government Information Service)

A memorial service organized by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for former CCP leader Jiang Zemin took place in the morning of Dec. 6. The Hong Kong government ordered officials and staff to stand in silence for three minutes starting at 10 a.m. The order included the Legislative Council, the judiciary institutions, public institutions, schools, hospitals, emergency rooms, government offices, and transportation throughout Hong Kong.

The event was unprecedented since Beijing took over Hong Kong in 1997.

Historians said the scale of Jiang’s mourning in Hong Kong was comparable to what occurred in China. Some say the mandatory memorial activities in the city show that Hong Kong has been laid to rest along with Jiang’s passing.

Hong Kong Came to a Halt for the CCP

Ships from the Fisheries and Conservation Department, people in Customs, the Environmental Protection Department, the Fire Department, the Department of Health, the Police Department, the Immigration Department, and other government divisions lined up across the Hong Kong and Macao Ferry Terminal for three minutes as a last salute to the deceased CCP leader.

Mourning also took place in local institutions, such as Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing, the Chinese Silver and Gold Exchange, Star Ferry, MTR (Mass Transit Railway), and shopping malls. A sizeable external screen displaying the stock market and trading was suspended for three minutes.

MTR shut off the Christmas holiday lighting and festive music in every MTR shopping mall. Grief messages were displayed on public transport and MTR platforms.

Hong Kong schools were required to put the national flag at half-mast and teachers and students stood in silence for three minutes at 10 a.m. and watch the live streaming of Jiang’s mourning. International schools were no exception.

A nongovernmental organization, Societas Linguistica Hongkongensis, pointed out that many schools organized teachers to stop students from writing in the examination room at 10 a.m. so that they could stand in silence for three minutes.

Doctors and Judges Must Mourn

The Hospital Authority notified its staff on Dec. 5, that “without affecting clinical or patient services,” all employees should solemnly stand at work for three minutes of silence.

During a trial of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China (HK Alliance), prosecutors said they needed time to organize their documents at about 9:40 a.m. They said they noticed “a matter the court needing to tend to” at 10 a.m.

According to the government notice, “all courts and judicial services must adjourn during the service,” and everyone in court was required to stand silently.

Elderly Made to Stand for An Hour

The online news outlet InMedia reported that senior citizens in Sai Ying Pun Community Building were made to stand for an hour and listen to the commemorative speech CCP leader Xi Jinping gave about Jiang.

Many of the elderly complained that they were tired, and their inability to understand Mandarin meant they had no idea what was being said.

Bloody Suppression by Jiang Not Mentioned

Current affairs commentator Mr. Fung wrote, “Does anyone challenge the so-called ‘contribution’ of Jiang for his June 4th Massacre, bloody suppression, and persecution of dissidents.”

In an interview with The Epoch Times on Dec. 6, historian Hans Yeung stated that the “new Hong Kong” requires everyone in governments and public institutions to portray loyalty to the Chinese government.

“I should say directly that the regime forced Hong Kong citizens to show loyalty and pretend they were serious and sad about the death of the Chinese leader. That is why we saw school teachers crying on camera or Hong Kong disciplinary forces wearing uniforms during live memorial service,” Yeung said

He said that the CCP took the opportunity of Jiang’s death to integrate Hong Kong into its “national system.” “Hong Kong’s ‘one country’ is now set in stone, the Hong Kong government was also using the national mourning to show the regime that Hong Kong compatriots are connected to the heart of the CCP.”

Yeung said, “The government is using the burial of Jiang Zemin to mandate Hong Kongers to obey a symbolism of burying the old (free and independent) Hong Kong.”