Discreet Remembrance of a Forbidden Event

Years after Hong Kong’s annual vigil for the Tiananmen Square crackdown ended, former organizer Tang Ngok-kwan still discreetly visits former memorial sites in the city.

Though Tang’s fellow activists were locked up in prison, accused of inciting subversion, and an annual candlelight vigil they previously organized to mourn the crackdown’s victims vanished, the 58-year-old continues to personally and discreetly remember the event, which is a political taboo on mainland China.

Tang’s dedication to remembering the victims of the Tiananmen Square crackdown stems from his involvement in the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. The group was formed in 1989 to support the pro-democracy protests in Beijing and later organized the annual candlelight vigil in Hong Kong to commemorate the victims.

However, the group’s activities were heavily scrutinized by the authorities. In 2020, the annual vigil was banned, citing risks to public health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Weeks later, Beijing imposed the security law, saying it was necessary for the city’s stability following massive protests in 2019.

Two of Tang’s former colleagues were convicted Friday under the Beijing-imposed national security law, facing a maximum prison term of 10 years. Their vigil organizing group was also found guilty. Government-approved judges ruled the pair had incited others to overthrow the leadership of China’s Communist Party through unlawful means.

Many observers say the convictions were the latest case reflecting the decline in freedoms in the former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

A Moral Burden and Personal Sacrifices

Tang told The Associated Press that the arguments in the verdict did not convince him and he felt wronged on behalf of those convicted.