Hong Kong’s Christian Times remembers Tiananmen with a 'blank page'
The paper pays tribute to the victims on the 35th anniversary of the massacre. In an editorial, it cites an increasingly "restrictive" reality in which even praying may “arouse concern”. In Beijing, access to Tiananmen Square is restricted while the web is censored. Taiwan pledges to respond to "authoritarianism" with "freedom” while a rally is scheduled in the capital. Canada and the United States are set to host memorial ceremonies.
Hong Kong (AsiaNews) – In its latest edition last weekend, Hong Kong’s Christian Times paper published a blank page, with no headlines or articles, to mark the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre of 4 June 1989 in Beijing.
The paper chose this way to pay tribute to the victims of the repression perpetrated by the Communist Party of China against young people and activists who demanded democracy and rights. At the same time, this was its silent cry of alarm over the growing restrictions on individual liberties.
Card Stephen Chow Sau-yan also addressed this "sensitive date” with thoughts about the “deep wound" that still requires “proper attention” for healing.
To justify its blank page, the Christian weekly said that the "current situation” can only be told by "turning paragraphs into empty squares and white space" in a society – that of mainland China and Hong Kong – that is increasingly "restrictive”.
If the former British colony was once the only place where it was possible to mention the events of 4 June and organise prayer vigils and rallies, particularly in Victoria Park, today any form of dissent is banned, punished with jail time, after the local legislature adopted its own security law.
In the past, the Christian Times published content related to Tiananmen on the eve of the anniversary, while this year it was not possible to publish the front page "due to an issue".
“In recent years, Hong Kong’s society has changed drastically and become more restrictive,” the paper said in an editorial published along with another mostly redacted article. “Even a prayer based on historical memories may arouse ‘concern’.”
Events over the past week highlight the prevailing climate of repression after the authorities arrested seven people on "sedition" charges because of alleged posts on social media in which they "took advantage" of an "upcoming sensitive date,” i.e. the 4 June anniversary.
One pf the people arrested last night in Hong Kong was performance artist Sanmu Chen (for the second year in a row), for tracing Chinese characters in the air near a police van. He was released this morning.
In Beijing, the authorities have boosted security measures near Tiananmen, severely restricting access to the site. In 35 years, they have never disclosed the official death toll of the repression, but activist groups put the number in the thousands.
An official website for the Tiananmen Tower overlooking the square, posted a notice on WeChat saying that it would be closed for the entire day on 4 June.
In addition, Chang'an Avenue, the road lining the square, was closed to pedestrians and cyclists on Monday evening.
Small groups of "stability maintenance" volunteers have been deployed to keep watch in neighbourhoods in central Beijing since last week. Guards have also been posted on pedestrian bridges, a regular practice during politically sensitive periods.
On Chinese social media platforms, including WeChat and Douyin, users were unable to change their profile photos. In the past, some changed their profile names and photos to include symbolic images such as candles around 4 June.
“Thirty-five years have passed, and the authorities remain silent.” reads a statement by the Tiananmen Mothers, a group of over 100, mostly China-based survivors and families of the victims of the Tiananmen crackdown. “We cannot accept or tolerate” statements from the authorities “that ignore the facts.”
By contrast, Taiwan, which is considered a “rebel” province by mainland China, continues to mark the anniversary. In a statement, President Lai Ching-te said that "the memory of June 4th will not disappear in the torrent of history.”
Taiwan, he added, will “respond to authoritarianism with freedom,” remaining the only place in the Chinese-speaking world where the event can be openly remembered, with commemorations planned for the occasion in the capital.
Commemorations are also planned in other countries, like the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States, while Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong mentioned the "brutal force" used against students, reiterating her government’ concern about continued restrictions on individual rights.
“We call on China to cease suppression of freedoms of expression, assembly, media and civil society and to release those detained for peacefully expressing their political views," Wong said in a statement.
.png)
02/02/2009
31/05/2016 18:51
06/05/2019 13:13
