Hong Kongers turn to social media to keep memory of Tiananmen Square alive

On June 4, 1989, China’s communist party rolled out its tanks backed by soldiers into Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, where they opened fire on student-led pro-democracy protesters. Most were unarmed, like the ‘Tank Man’ from the iconic image that made headlines around the world, facing off a tank in a powerful symbol of defiance.

Exactly how many died in the massacre is to this day unconfirmed, with estimates varying from hundreds to thousands.

Over the past three decades, the memory of Tiananmen has been kept alive at commemorations in Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong, where Victoria Park is synonymous with the annual June 4 vigil. But this year’s event has been banned in Hong Kong and Macau, with Chinese officials citing Covid-19 restrictions on mass gatherings. And while many Hong Kongers defied a similar order last year, Chinese officials have this time threatened to use a new security law against Tiananmen mourners.

The ban, critics say, is another step towards stamping out opposition to China’s authority.

Since the 2019 resurgence of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, Chinese censorship and government surveillance has reached new extremes. Political rights, freedom of expression and civil liberties in the formerly semi-autonomous British state have been stripped back. Social media platforms of citizens and activists have been shut down, others have faced prosecution for political, religious, social and even humorous speech.

Ahead of the Tiananmen anniversary, Beijing has again hardened its stance by attempting to silence talk of the atrocity, a topic forbidden in mainland China. And nowhere more so than in Hong Kong, where Tiananmen has long been a symbol of the pro-democracy movement.

Popular slogans shouted in previous years at Tiananmen vigils, such as "End one-party rule" and "Bring democracy to China", are now illegal. Authorities said they would use the new security law – brought in to curtail Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activists – against anyone who “organises, plans or carries out any illegal means to damage or overthrow the fundamental system under the Chinese constitution”.

Health inspectors sent a warning on Wednesday when they forced the closure of a museum, whose collection centres on the events of Tiananmen and which is run by the same organisers of the Hong Kong vigil.

‘Mourn your own way’

Despite the threats from pro-Beijing figures, key figures of the pro-democracy movement who were arrested after last year’s memorial gathering in Victoria Park have sent messages of support to those intent on marking the event.

Prominent dissidents Joshua Wong, Lee Cheuk-Yan and Albert Ho issued a statement from jail saying: “Under the circumstances, mourn June 4 in your own way, at the right time and place, so that the truth will not disappear!”

Ho suggested Hong Kongers could light candles or shine mobile phone lights in their local neighbourhoods.

"We can regard the whole of Hong Kong as Victoria Park," he told the South China Morning Post before he was sentenced last week.

William Nee, a researcher at China Human Rights Defenders, told the Guardian that because of China’s crackdown this year many Hong Kongers will realise that “it will be all the more important to carry out small vigils and amplify them using social media”.

He added: “Unfortunately, this will be the main way that people can continue to remember the dead and press for justice.”

Many are doing just that to keep the spirit of the vigil alive like Kacey Wong, an artist who has collected hundreds of spent candle stubs from previous vigils and plans to give them to residents on Friday night.

"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 AFP.

"Each burned candle contains a person's mourning towards those who sacrificed themselves in pursuit of democracy, as well as one's longing for democracy, a mix of complex emotions," explained Wong.

"It's a testimony of hope... I hope they can continue to shine the way towards freedom and democracy."

‘Refuse to forget’

Artist Pak Sheung-chuen is using light in a different way. He has called on residents to write the numbers six and four – representing June 4 – on light switches as a way to recall Tiananmen whenever they turn them on.

"Guard the truth and refuse to forget," Pak wrote on Facebook.

Designer Chan Ka-hing used social media to post another idea. He photographed a black rectangle with a 6:4 ratio on a white T-shirt and said others were welcome to copy the design.

In Taiwan, 30 groups have come together for an online event on Friday involving a large LED screen that will show messages about Tiananmen in Taipei’s Liberty Square. Still under tight Covid-19 restrictions with limits on outdoor gatherings, it plans to hold other events online.

Though Victoria Park will be without candles this year, Chinese authorities will find it difficult to police every gathering, thus making it likely that the many virtual and small-scale events will keep the flame of Tiananmen burning.

(With AFP)