Thursday, June 4, 2020

Lighting candles for Tiananmen and also Hong Kong on a dark June day


"The truth will set you free" -- we hope; "Being born in uncertain 
times carries certain responsibilities" -- it sure does seem so :S
 

Some people also went to Victoria Park to individually mourn earlier in the day.  And still others opted to stay in their neighborhoods or even within their homes -- but lit candles to remember this dark day anyway.

Making the day feel darker for Hong Kongers this year: the national anthem bill was indeed passed into law today. Consequently, as of this day in Hong Kong, disrespecting or misusing the March of the Volunteers consitutes a a criminal offence, with offenders liable to fines of up to HK$50,000 or three years in prison.

My question now is: what constitutes disrespectful?  Take, as an example, the following commentary and critique of (the English translation of) its lyrics:-

Arise, ye who refuse to be slaves!
-- Actually, I'm down with that!

With our flesh and blood, let us build a new Great Wall!
-- Hold on a minute.  For one thing, what if I don't want to build a new Great Wall?  For another, what if I don't wish to volunteer my flesh and blood to do so?  (Incidentally, the linkage of the flesh and blood to the Great Wall makes me recall the grisly story of the bodies of many of the 400,000 people who died while building it being encased in the wall!)

As China faces its greatest peril 
-- Is it facing its greatest peril now?  Really?

From each one the urgent call to action comes forth.
Arise! Arise! Arise!
Millions of but one heart
-- Okay, I get here that you are asking Chinese people to go to the country's rescue... since it supposedly is imperiled.

Braving the enemies' fire! March on!
Braving the enemies' fire! March on!

-- Sorry but when I read about the enemies' fire on June 4th, what comes to mind is the People Liberation Army firing on and otherwise attacking people in Beijing in the summer of 1989!

March on! March, march on! 

2 comments:

peppylady (Dora) said...

There a lot going in world about human dignity...

YTSL said...

Hi peppylady --

There sure is! It can seem overwhelming but I think so much has been problematic for some time; it's like the dam burst and many people are now finally acting -- I just hope that a lot more other people are having their eyes opened, and in a way that will be positive in the long, if not short, run.