Hong Kong police detained at least eight people June 3 for allegedly attempting to hold public vigils commemorating the Tiananmen Square massacre. Victoria Park, the site of the massive annual commemoration which is now suspended due to the crackdown in the city since 2020, was meanwhile the scene of a fair promoting unity with China. (The Guardian, WaPo) However, prominent activistĀ Chow Hang-tung, who has been imprisoned since her arrest inĀ 2021 for promoting an “unauthorized assembly” commemorating the massacre that year, announced a 34-hour hunger strikeāone hour for each year since June 4, 1989, known in China as “6-4.” (Reuters)
Chow Hang-tung’s “unauthorized assembly” conviction was overturned on appeal in December, but she remains in custody on other charges related to the National Security Law. (BBC News)
Image via Twitter
More 6-4 sweeps in Hong Kong
Hong Kong police detained more than 20 people, including prominent pro-democracy figures, on the 34th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre. Among the arrested is 67-year-old Alexandra Wong, a popular campaigner nicknamed “Grandma Wong.” (The Guardian, BBC News)
There were reports of scattered symbolic protests in mainland China. On Twitter, images went viral showing a woman in Beijing waving an American flag and throwing sheets of paper with text from the USĀ Declaration of Independence.
The Tiananmen MothersĀ repeated their call for “truth, compensation and accountability”Ā in an online statement in late May. However, the document cannot be seen in China due to internet censorship. (Mainichi)
HK court overturns acquittal of Tiananmen Square vigil organizer
The Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal overturned Jan. 25 the acquittal of pro-democracy activist Chow Hang-tung, reinstating her conviction of inciting others to participate in an unauthorized assembly under Section 17A(3)(a) of the Public Order Ordinance. Chow wasĀ sentenced to 15 months prison on Jan. 4, 2022 over Hong Kong’s Tiananmen Square vigil ofĀ June 4, 2021, which had been prohibited by the police. (Jurist)
Hong Kong court upholds prison term of Tiananmen vigil organizer
The Hong Kong Court of First Instance upheld pro-democracy activist Chow Hang-tung’s 15-month prison sentence on Feb. 21 and ruled that Chow will serve the remaining four and a half months of her sentence for inciting others to participate in an unauthorized assembly. Chow has been detained since September 2021 on separateĀ National Security Law charges. (Jurist)
Hong Kong court upholds conviction of Tiananmen vigil organizer
The Hong Kong Court of First Instance upheldĀ the convictions of pro-democracy activists Chow Hang-tung, Tang Ngok-kwan and Tsui Hon-kwong for failing to comply with notice to provide information under Article 43 of the China-imposed National Security Law.
Schedule 5 of the Implementation Rules of Article 43 states that the Commissioner of Police may serve a notice requiring “foreign agents” to provide information on offenses that endanger national security. Information may include the activities, assets and personal particulars of members of foreign organizations in Hong Kong.
The activists argued that they were not obligated to comply with the notice as they were not serving as foreign agents. (Jurist)