All set for Szeto Wah’s funeral in Hong Kong
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) – Szeto Wah’s funeral will be held tomorrow at St Andrew’s Baptist Church in Tsim Sha Tsui. The iconic figure in Hong Kong’s pro-democratic movement died at the beginning of the month. “We will be dividing the ceremony into three parts because of the large number of people who are expected to pay their respects,” said Rev Chu Yiu-ming, who will officiate at the ceremony.
When Szeto's coffin enters the church, a bell will toll six times. After that, the public will be able to pay their respects from 9 am to 1 pm. From 1 pm to 3 pm, the church will be open to representatives from local and overseas governments. A book of condolences will be placed outside.
Lee Cheuk-yan, acting chairman of the Patriotic Alliance in Support of Democratic Movement in China, an organisation that Szeto founded, said representatives from 14 different countries will attend, as well as a number of Hong Kong government officials.
It is still unclear whether Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang would also be there, but at least representatives of the central government are not expected. Nonetheless, pro-Beijing Tsang is expected to express the central government’s “sadness” over Szeto’s death even though the mainland has not officially issued any statement on the death of one of its fiercest critics.
The late trade union leader has in fact been a thorn in Beijing’s side because of his commitment to the martyrs of Tiananmen Square, helping students in 1989 and keeping alive the memory of what happened on 4 June.
For this reason, Hong Kong authorities turned down the visa applications of two former student leaders now living in Taiwan, Wuer Kaixi and Wang Dan, who wanted to attend the funeral. Wuer said he would still try to find a way to attend the ceremony. After his visa application was rejected, Wang said at a press conference, “I am really worried about the future of Hong Kong. I want the Hong Kong and mainland authorities to give me a clear explanation” for rejecting his application.
Another dissident living outside the mainland, Qin Jin, said fear probably guided Hong Kong authorities to deny the former a visa. “The funeral of Hu Yaobang gave rise to the 1989 pro-democracy movement," Qin noted. “Is that what the Hong Kong authorities fear?”
On its editorial page, the South China Morning Post slammed the government for its decision. “Wang Dan is not a terrorist or criminal,” the editorial read. “He does not threaten Hong Kong's way of life or stability. Yet our government has barred him from coming here for the funeral of democracy icon Szeto Wah. The decision demonstrates a lack of tolerance, which does not reflect well on Hong Kong. [. . .] The damage done by the government's decision should be repaired by letting Wang and other democracy advocates whose applications are still pending come to our city.”
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07/01/2011
22/01/2005
