For the first time, there will be no celebration in Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989, even in territories that have always rebelled against Beijing. In Hong Kong, where the influence of the Chinese state has grown like never before, even in the face of mass protests, celebrations have been banned in Macau, and Taiwan, a territory disputed by China, is facing a brutal coronavirus outbreak. -19, with no gatherings. This year, the memory of the massacre of thousands of students who defied the Chinese regime, killed by the military, must be left behind by virtual events or wiped out, unless some rebels violate the ban.
“Due to the circumstances, we will mourn June 4 in our own way, at the right time and in the right place, so that the truth does not disappear,” the Hong Kong Alliance Demanding Accountability for Massacre promised in the quoted statement. from The keeper…
However, given the atmosphere of fear in the Chinese enclave, even this organization – which saw a museum dedicated to the Tiananmen Square massacre close this week after three days of operation due to alleged license issues – was afraid to get involved with any physical or virtual meetings in memory of the massacre.
Unsurprisingly, given that last year’s vigils – until 2019, Hong Kong was the only place in China where a June 4 vigil was sanctioned – led to the arrest of 24 leaders of pro-democracy groups such as Joshua Wong, this time those who are challenging the ban on going out, still face the national security law imposed by Beijing, risking a harsh prison sentence.
In the rest of China, June 4 is not even a topic of conversation, at least not openly. Older people will surely remember the days when China’s transition to a market economy caused rampant inflation, fueling demands for democracy from students who were crushed by tanks and artillery fire – but the younger ones may not even have heard of it. massive censorship campaign.
More than thirty years later, the mere mention of Tiananmen Square or June 4 continues to be heavily censored on Chinese social media, even though parents are prohibited from paying tribute to their lost children. Some Chinese, such as 31-year-old Yatsiu Wang, knew only about the adult massacre – they did not even see the famous photograph of a Tankman whose courage astonished the world.
“It disorientated me,” Wang, now a researcher with Human Rights Watch, said when she described the opening of Tiananmen Square in a clandestine Internet cafe in her home province of Zhejiang.
“The blood was creepy, shocking, confusing,” he continued, referring to Time… “It made me realize how much the Chinese government is willing to do to suppress criticism,” he explained. “And who can really say they won’t do it anymore?”
