Chinese authorities have restricted the public's access to Tiananmen Square in Beijing on the anniversary of the pro-democracy protests and subsequent massacre Sunday.
The square has long been heavily guarded since the incident, including identity checks upon entry. But additional security on the anniversary meant those passing by on foot or on bicycle from Changan Avenue north of the square were stopped and forced to show identification. Additionally, those with journalist visas in their passports were told to acquire special permission even to approach the square.
On the eve of the commemoration, eight people were detained by Hong Kong police, saying four of them were allegedly disrupting order in public spaces or carrying out acts with seditious intent. The other half, police said, were taken on suspicion of breaching public peace.
Hong Kong authorities provided no other comments regarding the arrests.
Among those arrested was 67-year-old activist "Grandma" Alexandra Wong after allegedly carrying flowers near Victoria Park, where most of the Tiananmen commemorations were once held. League of Social Democrats party leader Chan Po Ying was also arrested after he was caught having an LED candle and two flowers.
Forgetting Tiananmen
While Beijing immediately suppressed the Tiananmen Square incident, Hong Kong has previously been freely commemorating the massacre of pro-democracy protesters by Chinese infantry and armor on the night of June 3 and into the morning of June 4, 1989. Talking about the incident in Hong Kong has since been heavily regulated after the Hong Kong government imposed a national security law in 2020.
Since the law's implementation, commemorations were banned across its public squares and replaced by a pro-Beijing carnival and food bazaar to mark Hong Kong's handover to China.
When asked about the legality of mourning the Tiananmen massacre, Hong Kong chief executive John Lee answered police would "have to take action" in case anyone broke the law.
On the other hand, public broadcaster RTHK reported police would deploy up to 6,000 officers to patrol the streets, including Victoria Park.
Condemnation and Continuity
A group of mothers who lost their children in Tiananmen also issued a statement renewing their call for "truth, compensation, and accountability."
Human Rights Watch (HRW) called on the Chinese government to acknowledge responsibility for the massacre. In a statement, HRW senior China researcher Yaqiu Wang said Beijing continued to "evade accountability" for killing the protesters, which paved the way for its "arbitrary detention of millions, its severe censorship and surveillance, and its efforts to undermine rights internationally."
Meanwhile, Amnesty International noticed the Hong Kong government's "futility" to crack down dissent using British-era anti-sedition laws to crack down on dissent, saying the persistent presence of non-conforming voices exposed its inability to "enforce silence and obedience."
"The Hong Kong government's shameful campaign to stop people marking this anniversary mirrors the censorship of the Chinese central government and is an insult to those killed in the Tiananmen crackdown," the group said.
However, the censorship in China and Hong Kong did not deter expatriates from commemorating the incident overseas.
Tiananmen protect participants Zhou Fengsuo, and Wang Dan unveiled the June 4th Memorial Exhibit in New York to keep the memory of the event alive. Items displayed at the exhibit include newspapers chronicling the event, a blood-stained shirt from a former journalist, and an old printer smuggled out of China.
Zhou said Hong Kong was once the center of remembrance as it hosted the Tiananmen Museum until it was shut down recently. "We have to continue here in the United States," he said.
Chinese Warship Nearly Missed US Destroyer Off Taiwan
An unidentified Chinese warship came within 150 yards (137.16 meters) of hitting the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Chung-Hoon Saturday while conducting joint exercises with a Canadian warship in the Taiwan Strait.
The incident happened days after the Pentagon released a video where a Chinese J-16 fighter jet made an "aggressive" maneuver towards a US Air Force RC-135 plane.
The Canadian news agency Global News was aboard the Halifax-class frigate HMCS Montreal when the incident happened and released a video showing the Chinese warship speeding up and cutting in front of the Chung-Hoon, forcing her to slow down to avoid a collision. The Aegis-capable destroyer managed to convince the Chinese ship to stay away.
