Already thinking of June 4th despite it still being only May

  

A Tiananmen Square Massacre memorial that previously 

stood tall at  the University of Hong Kong, but no more

 

It's still only May (with the unseasonably cool weather making it feel more like April) but, already, thoughts have turned to June 4th.  This is thanks in part to a collaboration involving the Hong Kong Committee in Norway, Amnesty International Norway and Oslo Freedom Forum leading to the unveiling yesterday of a new "Pillar of Shame" in the courtyard of the University of Oslo’s Law faculty.   

 

For the record: the one that stood for decades at the University of Hong Kong was dismantled and is still hidden from view in a Hong Kong location; so the one erected yeterday is Norway is actually "just" a replica. Nonetheless, the sense is that this new Pillar of Shame will help to shine a light on the events of June 4th, 1989, in Beijing -- but, also, what's been happening in/to Hong Kong in recent years, including the efforts on the part of the authorities to extend the People's Republic of Amnesia to Hong Kong from Mainland China.

 

Speaking of the latter: the removal of sculptures, statues and other physical reminders of the Tiananmen Square Massacre have not satisfied the powers that be.  They've also imprisoned people who have expressed their determination to remember what happened on June 4th, 1989, like lawyer-activist Chow Hang-tung -- the subject of a Wall Street Journal article just yesterday (go here to go behind its paywall) that pointed out, among other things, that: "Ms. Chow is serving two prison terms, totaling 22 months, for attending and inciting others to go to Tiananmen memorial vigils in 2020 and 2021, after city authorities banned the memorials citing pandemic restrictions. She is awaiting trial on a national security charge, for which she faces up to 10 years in jail, related to her work with the group that organized the annual commemoration."

 

Also from that article: "As the window for speaking out on the Tiananmen massacre is closing in Hong Kong, Ms. Chow has said that her will wouldn’t be broken by punishment. “You can even force me to shut up, but you can’t force me to utter what I do not believe,” she wrote from detention."

 

Speaking of Hong Kongers who the authorities are finding difficult to shut up: After attending court for the first time as a defendant on Tuesday, Cardinal Zen proceeded to host a mass to pray for Chinese churchest in the evening.  At the service attended by hundreds of Hong Kongers, the 90-year-old Cardinal also "dedicated prayers to churches in Myanmar led by Cardinal Bo, his most outspoken supporter in Asia, as well as “brothers and sisters who cannot join tonight because they are not free”".  And he also criticized the Vatican once again for an "unwise" deal it had made with the Chinese regime back in 2018 that is due for renewal in September. 

 

Fellow Catholic Chris Patten also touched on the wrongs wrought by the Vatican when it comes to China, including Hong Kong, in a recent piece entitled China's Cardinal Sins in Hong Kong, and noted that "Cardinal Zen’s real crime [in the eyes of the authorities in Hong Kong] is not only his regular defenses of religious freedom in China... but also his criticism of the #Vatican’s secret deals with the Chinese leadership"; deals that have tightened the Chinese Communist Party's grip on the Catholic Church in China, and now also Hong Kong.

 

Returning to the issue of the commemoration of June 4th: The Hong Kong Catholic Social Communications Office will not hold masses to commemorate the victims of the Tiananmen crackdown this year, citing fears over the Beijing-imposed national security law.  Masses have traditionally been held on the anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown at several of Hong Kong's Catholic churches but, sadly, it looks like the tradition may well have come to an end.

 

Another traditional June 4th event that will not be taking place this year is the once annual candlelight vigil in Victoria Park. From a Radio Free Asia article from yesterday: "The vigil has been banned -- ostensibly for public health reasons -- for the past two years and the leaders of its organizing group, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, arrested for colluding with foreign powers under a national security law imposed by Beijing from July 1, 2020."  And this year, "The Ming Pao newspaper reported that the Leisure and Cultural Service Department (LCSD), which administers the Victoria Park soccer pitches where the rally used to take place, has suspended any bookings on June 4, the 33rd anniversary of the Tiananmen [Square] massacre, although bookings are available on other days in the same month."

 

But while there may be no public events commemorating the Tiananmen Square Massacre in Hong Kong, don't think that people in Hong Kong will not be thinking about what happened on June 4th, 1989, on June 4th, 2022.  In the same Radio Free Asia article, "You Weijie, spokeswoman for the Tiananmen Mothers victims' group said it was a shame that the event couldn't go ahead in Hong Kong, but said people wouldn't forget the date, nor the three decades of vigils that had already happened.  "The candlelight vigil in Victoria Park went on for more than 30 years, and is deeply rooted in the memories of everyone with a conscience," You told RFA. "It's part of the desire to live a free life.""

A tale of two court cases in Hong Kong, both involving internationally known pro-democracy activists

 

Cyd Ho (on the far right of the foregrounded group)

in what we now look upon as better days

 

Earlier this month, Hong Kong was shocked to see the arrests of 90-year-old Cardinal Zen and his fellow 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund trustees on suspicion of having "conspired to collude with foreign forces", a "crime" under the national security law that China imposed on Hong Kong on June 30th, 2020.  And although the Cardinal was freed on bail along with the others charged within hours of their arrest (bar for former legislative councillor Cyd Ho, who's serving time in prison for having her part in "inciting" and "organizing" "unauthorized" assemblies in 2019), they all were set to appear in court today; and so it proved.  

 

The day before the appointed court date (i.e., yesterday) though, it was learnt that the charges against Cardinal Zen and Co (who include eminent lawyer Margaret Ng and singer-actress-activist Denise Ho) had been changed to a lesser one of "failing to register the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund with the government".  And this morning, came the further report that the maximum penalty for this charge is "just" a HK$10,000 fine.  

 

As lawyer Kevin Yam was moved to Tweet upon hearing of the revised charges against the fund's trustees and secretary: "#HongKong to the world: if we couldn’t get dissidents by the Mainland China way (eg National Security Law), then we will get at them the Singapore way (pissy little administrative technicalities dressed up as criminal offences)."   At the same time, one also can't put it past the authorities to level more charges in the future, including the original national security law one, against the trustees of this fund set up to provide humanitarian relief to people injured, arrested, attacked or threatened with violence during the extradition bill protests.  And that's the rub.

 

In addition, the fact of the matter remains that all the people charged with this "offence" have nonetheless had to surrender their passports and not be allowed to travel outside of Hong Kong.  Put another way: one could say that they have been left immobile despite not having been convicted.  Also, they -- who have all pleaded not guilty as charged -- surely can't help feel like they have a sword hanging over their head for at least the next few months as their trial won't actually start until September 19th.    

 

At least though, they (bar for Cyd Ho) remain free on bail.  And it's amazing the courage and fortitude they have shown, and continue to show, today and in recent days.  For example, on her friend, Cantopop lyricist Wyman Wong's birthday last Saturday, Denise Ho performed his songs at a "minilive" show and announced that "I am happy, I am really happy. I know everyone is worried about me, but there’s no need to worry... I think the most happy thing in life is you can walk each step stably and able to tell yourself: I know what I am doing with no regret."   

 

And today, hours after appearing in court for the first time in his life as a defendant, Cardinal Zen celebrated mass.  On this world day of prayer for China's churches, the good Cardinal noted that "Many from the [Catholic] community cannot join the mass today because they have lost their freedom. May peace be with them always."

 

Among them is a man who was baptized by Cardinal Zen in 1997: Jimmy Lai.  Another Christian (albeit a Protestant) currently spending time in Hong Kong's prisons: former law professor Benny Tai, who, also today, was sentenced to a further 10 months in prison "over illegal election spending, after he placed adverts in local newspapers ahead of the 2016 Legislative Council election".  Put another way: He was jailed for "for illegally promoting a strategic voting plan to maximise pro-democracy camp’s seat in 2016 Legco election."  Or, as Louisa Lim pointed out, he was sentenced to jail "for formulating an election strategy for the pro-democracy camp" -- something which, really, doesn't sound like it should be illegal, right?   

 

Here's leaving it to Kevin Yam again to cut to the chase, this time by way of the following Tweet: "Let’s be clear. Benny pleaded guilty to everything and took it all upon himself to save others who were also ridiculously threatened with jail…"  And for the record: The charges against his two other co-defendants – Ip Kim-ching and Sek Sau-ching – were indeed dropped, albeit conditionally, after Tai "pleaded guilty to everything".  

 

Responding to Tai’s 10-month sentence, human rights NGO Amnesty International stated that: "The jail term handed today to fired Hong Kong scholar Benny Tai is another politically motivated attack based on his pro-democracy activism. Hong Kong authorities and universities must stop silencing academics critical of the government."  If only the Vatican would release a similar statement in support of Cardinal Zen and other Hong Kongers persecuted by the authorities.  Sadly, based on Pope Francis' record with regards to Hong Kong (and China as a whole), I don't think we can count on that happening any time soon.