Hong Kong — Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong was guilty of attending an unlawful rally on June 4, last year, to commemorate the 1989 crackdown on protesters in and around Tiananmen Square in Beijing. It was one of the four admitted.
As with all demonstrations last year, this was the first time police have banned vigilance at financial hubs around the world, citing coronavirus restrictions on group gatherings. It is expected that we will face a similar fate this year.
Still, most of June last year was a peaceful event, with tens of thousands of people lighting candles around the city and banning short skirmishes with riot police in some areas.
Wong, who was already in prison after attending an unauthorized rally during a major anti-democratization movement in 2019 and convicted of organizing charges, pleaded guilty to the district court.
Other activists pleaded guilty were Leicester Siam, Janel Leon, and Tiffany Yuen. Another activist, Eddie Chu, seeks a postponement, his proceedings are heard on June 11, and 19 others face similar accusations.
Anniversary of June 4 stimulates particularly sensitive nerves in last year’s former British colony, and Beijing punishes what China considers to be a collusion with foreign troops until destruction, segregation, terrorism, or life imprisonment. It collapsed as it prepared to introduce a new safety law. ..
While in prison, Wong was arrested in January for participating in an informal vote to select candidates against the postponed elections on suspicion of violating the new law introduced in July 2020. “Overthrow” the government.
This June 4th event is particularly troublesome for Beijing, which celebrates the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party. Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam asked if mourning the victims of the Tiananmen Square violates the new security law and said it was important to pay homage to the party this week.
Although commemoration of the Tiananmen crackdown is banned in mainland China, Hong Kong has traditionally been the world’s greatest vigilance each year, with certain freedoms, including the right to expression and assembly when returning to Chinese rule in 1997. Was promised.
China has never provided a complete explanation of the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident. Authorities killed about 300 people, most of them soldiers, but rights groups and witnesses say thousands could have died.
Marius Zaharia