31st Anniversary of Tiananmen Incident... Hong Kong Memorial Rally Canceled and China Says 'Shh'

-SCMP "Over 3,000 Police Officers Deployed in Hong Kong"
-Young Chinese Generation "Don't Know What June 4th Is"

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Park Sun-mi] On the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Incident on the 4th, thousands of police officers will be deployed in Hong Kong to block memorial gatherings deemed 'illegal.' In China, security around Tiananmen Square has been tightened, and related keyword searches have been blocked, effectively silencing the Tiananmen Incident issue. Due to the Hong Kong National Security Law (Hong Kong Security Law), the United States and Taiwan, which are at odds with China, pressured China to reflect on the Tiananmen Incident.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) in Hong Kong on the 4th, the memorial gathering held every June 4th for the past 30 years to commemorate the victims of the Tiananmen Incident will not be held this year. The Hong Kong government has classified the gathering as 'illegal' and plans to deploy more than 3,000 police officers across Hong Kong to block it. Water cannons will also be deployed in preparation for possible clashes between participants and police.

The Hong Kong government cited the prevention of the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) as the reason for disallowing the Tiananmen Incident memorial gathering, but the dominant interpretation is that this is a measure to prevent the situation from escalating into anti-government protests by mixing demonstrations opposing the legislation of China's Hong Kong Security Law with the Tiananmen memorial gathering.

Ahead of the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Incident, Hong Kong extended regulations banning gatherings of more than eight people as part of social distancing measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Violators face fines of HKD 2,000 per participant, while organizers face fines of HKD 25,000 and imprisonment for six months.

In China, there is an atmosphere of blocking the issue of the Tiananmen Incident itself. On Chinese social media Weibo, searches for '6·4,' which refers to the Tiananmen democracy movement, have been blocked, and Chinese media are not reporting on the Tiananmen Incident at all. Tiananmen Square, the historic site where the People's Liberation Army entered with tanks to violently suppress students and citizens demanding democratization, is under strict security.

Police deployment and security checks have been intensified at nearby subway stations, and foreign journalists have been barred from access. When asked, "Do you know what day June 4th is?" many Chinese replied, "I don't know what day that is," indicating that the Tiananmen Incident is becoming forgotten in China. Some even responded, "It seems other countries are deliberately dragging in the Tiananmen Incident and Hong Kong issues to politically pressure China."

The United States, which is at odds with China over the Hong Kong Security Law issue, is increasing pressure on China on the occasion of the 31st anniversary of the Tiananmen Incident.

The U.S. State Department publicly revealed that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with key figures of the Tiananmen protests such as Wang Dan, Su Xiaokang, Li Anli, and Henry Li, stepping up pressure on China. State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus also stated on the 3rd (local time) in a statement related to the Tiananmen democracy protests, "The Tiananmen protests inspired oppressed people in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe to demand and achieve democratic change, but the Chinese Communist Party government survived through oppressive control of information and sheer brutality." She added, "We mourn the victims and stand with the Chinese people who continue to hope for a government that protects basic human dignity, fundamental freedoms, and human rights."

Taiwan also urged China to reflect on and apologize for the Tiananmen Incident. In a statement released the previous day, Taiwanese authorities said, "The Chinese government must apologize for the bloody suppression of protesters demanding democratization at Tiananmen Square in 1989," and "China must face the people's aspirations for freedom and democracy and begin political reform."

In response, Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dismissed it as "complete nonsense," stating, "The Chinese government has already reached a clear conclusion on the political turmoil that occurred in the late 1980s. The great achievements made in the more than 70 years since the founding of the People's Republic of China fully prove that the development path we chose was absolutely correct."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.