by Victoria Ma

After the prayer that preceded the vigil at Victoria Park, Mgr Ha called on Catholics to listen to the voice of one’s conscience, which “sounds very soft and weak,” but which is “ceaselessly speaking out until it is heard.” He also called on Chinese leaders to “bear moral responsibility” for what happened 26 years ago.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews) – At least 135,000 people attended the candlelight vigil in Victoria Park to remember the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre 26 years ago. People from all walks of life, including families with children and young people, took part in the event, which lasted more than two hours, in memory of the young students and workers crushed by China’s might for demanding more democracy and less corruption.

Hong Kong’s rally is the only one inside the People’s Republic of China. Across the mainland, including the capital Beijing, many dissidents were arrested, communications cut, and activists deported in advance of the anniversary in order to prevent them from gathering.

All messages that carried 6-4 (a reference to 4 June) on the internet and in text messages were blocked.

For the first time in 26 years, groups of young students held their own small demonstrations in Pok Fu Lam and Tsim Sha Tsui, drawing thousands of young people, on the margins of the traditional vigil in Victoria Park organised by the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic and Democratic Movements of China.

These groups have been labelled "localist" because they only want to work for democracy in Hong Kong and are not concerned about the democracy movement in mainland China. Hong Kong’s bishop emeritus Card Joseph Zen, who attended the vigil, has criticised this position in the past.

Before the vigil, which saw the participation of lay people, priests and bishops, Catholics held a prayer meeting during which Mgr Joseph Ha, auxiliary bishop of Hong Kong, expressed his thoughts during the homily. Here is the report from our correspondent.

“The strength of the voice of conscience lies not in its loudness or softness, but in its persistence and ceaselessly speaking out until it is heard,” Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Ha Chi-shing of Hong Kong told a prayer gathering at the Victoria Park held an hour before the start of the mass candlelight vigil that saw a turnout of 135,000 participants.

The prayer gathering, attended by hundreds of Catholics and others, had for theme “What is June 4 to do with me?” The rally listened to witness accounts of June 4 victims, activist Li Wangyang, and journalist Gao Yu.

The gathering prayed the Rosary, sang hymns and heard Bishop Ha shared his thoughts. It ended with a blessing and send-off prayer by Card Joseph Zen, bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, and about 10 priests present. The rally then joined the mass candlelight vigil held in the same park.

In his address, Bishop Ha mentioned the injuries, small or severe, that people endured. Burns can affect the whole body and even put one’s life in danger. Even so, some people did not seek medical advice, unaware of its severity, and had to be warned of the danger, he said.

“This evening’s gathering is like a reminder, a piece of advice, a voice, a voice of the conscience. Compared to a country of 1.3 billion population, the voice of Hong Kong is very small. In comparison to Hong Kong’s 7 million people, the voice of the Church is also very small. However, as long as this voice comes from one’s conscience, it has power and strength,” Bishop Ha said.

“This is the voice of conscience,” he added. “First, we ourselves must listen to it. I am here, holding a lit candle, singing and praying, because I firmly believe people have the right to pursue freedom, justice, democracy and the rule of law. People have the right to live with dignity. There is not much I can do, but I do it, and will persist doing it. This is why I listen to the voice of conscience”.

“We have to let this voice be heard by the compatriots who sacrificed their lives in the June 4 incident, their families, as well as all those who defend human dignity and struggle for freedom, justice, democracy and the rule of law. The voice says to them, ‘You are not alone. We remember you! We thank you! We are with you!’”

“Finally, we have to let those who are in power hear the voice of conscience. This wound needs to be healed. More and more, this wound of 26 years demands that this increasingly powerful country bear moral responsibility. It is time to face it! Did it not say that people's livelihood and economy would develop first, and then democracy and the rule of law? Today has the country not emerged as a new power? The [country’s] leaders should not be afraid!” he said.

In concluding, the bishop urged everyone to “listen to the voice of conscience,” which is “in fact, the voice of God. It sounds very soft and weak. Its strength lies not in its loudness or softness, but in its persistence, ceaselessly speaking out until it is heard.”

• china
• hong
• kong
• victoria
• park
• anniversary
• tiananmen
• square
• massacre
• bishop
• ha