Hong Kong police out in power to forestall Tiananmen commemoration | Civil Rights Information

Thousands of police officers were on duty in Hong Kong on Friday and the organizer of the now-banned Chinese territory’s annual vigil to crack down on Tiananmen Square was arrested when authorities tried to prevent people from reminding themselves of any kind of the events of 1989 to gather.

Hong Kong usually holds a mass vigil to commemorate those killed as soldiers stormed the square that was full of protesters calling for democracy, but police have banned the events for the past two years, blaming the coronavirus pandemic.

This year is the first since China passed a national security law in Hong Kong that punishes anything Beijing sees as subversion, secession, “terrorism” or collusion with foreign forces with up to life imprisonment.

Police have not clarified whether the commemoration of the raid, which was all but erased from history on the mainland, is against the law, but said in a statement late Thursday that any gathering posed “significant public health threats.” and life ”and warned those who participate in“ unauthorized meetings ”face up to five years imprisonment.

“The police will deploy sufficient personnel in the appropriate locations that day and take decisive action to enforce the law, including arrests,” the police said.

Around 7,000 officials will carry out searches throughout the day, reported the public broadcaster RTHK, citing unnamed sources.

Hong Kong was promised political and civil liberties unknown on the mainland when it returned to Chinese rule in 1997, but since the National Security Law was passed almost a year ago, dozens of activists and pro-democratic politicians, including people-elected MPs, have arrested and some imprisoned. Others went into exile.

Chow Hang-tung, vice-chairwoman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, which organizes the annual vigil, was arrested by plainclothes officers outside her city center office on Friday morning.

This video frame grave from AFPTV footage shows Chow Hang-tung (left), a leader of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of China’s Patriotic Democratic Movements and a lawyer, who is being taken away by plain clothes police after being arrested in Hong Kong on the anniversary of the crackdown of Heavenly Peace in Beijing [Xinqi Su/ AFP]A police source told AFP news agency that Chow was being held under Section 17A of the Public Order Ordinance, which covers the publication of illegal gatherings.

A 20-year-old was also arrested Friday morning after sharing social media posts that police said were “promoting or posting a public gathering that police banned,” became Senior Superintendent Terry Law quoted by the Hong Kong Free Press.

Territory general director Carrie Lam did not comment on the commemorations, just said that citizens must respect the law, as well as the Communist Party, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary next month.

Fucker of memory

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Tiananmen Square protests were “reflected in the struggle for democracy and freedom in Hong Kong.” This year’s vigil had been banned.

“The United States will continue to stand by the Chinese people in demanding that their government respect universal human rights,” Blinken said in a statement. “We honor the victims of those killed 32 years ago and the brave activists who continue their efforts today in the face of ongoing government repression.”

#Breaking #ChowHangTung, the vice chairman of the #HongKong Alliance, was arrested for allegedly promoting or publicizing an unauthorized gathering on the morning of June 4th. We’re supposed to interview her this morning. Here is our LIVE report. @AJEnglish @sarahclarkehk pic.twitter.com/rgbYo2tuvE

– Bertha Wang (@berthawangg) June 4, 2021

The arrest of high-ranking leaders follows a pattern.

But the arrest of a 20-year-old food delivery man who promoted the vigil sends a different message to ordinary Hong Kong residents. https://t.co/RVuoBKZEO2

– Tom Grundy (@tomgrundy) June 4, 2021

Tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents defied the 2020 vigil ban, gathered in the city’s Victoria Park and lit candles.

This year, too, many are planning to light candles again in their neighborhood if this can be done safely. Some churches will be open for prayer.

The jailed activist Jimmy Sham said on his Facebook page that he plans to “light a cigarette at 8:00 pm”.

“We see no hope for democracy and freedom in a leader, group or ceremony. Each of us is the hope for democracy and freedom. “

Prominent activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to 10 months in prison last month after pleading guilty to attending last year’s vigil, while three others were sentenced to four to six months in prison. Twenty more people will be tried on June 11 on similar charges.

The Hong Kong Alliance has announced that it will be dropping calls to appear in Victoria Park and not holding an online memorial service as in 2020.

Usually thousands of people fill Hong Kong’s Victoria Park to remember the Tiananmen Square raid and to demand democracy in China [File: Tyrone Siu/Reuters]Its chairman, Lee Cheuk-yan, is in jail for an illegal gathering.

On Wednesday, the Hong Kong Museum said on June 4 that it would be temporarily closed due to an investigation into whether it had a license to operate public entertainment.

Tiananmen commemorations are banned in China, and the Macau semi-autonomous area also banned June 4th activities.

A memorial pavilion is being built on Freedom Square in Taipei on the democratic island of Taiwan for people to lay flowers while following the rules of social distancing. In addition, a light-emitting diode or LED installation with 64 lights will be set up on the square.

China never provided a full account of what happened in 1989. The death toll reported days later by officials was around 300, most of them soldiers, but human rights groups and witnesses say thousands of people may have been killed.