bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Owen Fung

Over 100,000 people will take part in the annual candlelight vigil in Victoria Park to commemorate the Tiananmen Square crackdown on June 4, according to Lee Cheuk-yan, secretary of the Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China.
Lee’s remark came after the turnout for a march commemorating the crackdown on Sunday fell to its lowest in eight years, with only 1,500 people joining the march.
Speaking on RTHK on Monday, Lee said the number of people at the rally could not be used to predict how many would show up at the vigil, as the two events were different.
Remembering June 4 dead has a place in Hong Kong’s fight for democracy
However, he admitted the low turnout at the rally was undoubtedly affected by the Hong Kong Federation of Students’ decision to part ways with the alliance.
Still, Lee said he was confident that over 100,000 people would show up in Victoria Park on Saturday.
“I am confident that Hongkongers will remain determined,” he said.
The vigil has come under criticism in recent years amid the rise of localist sentiments in Hong Kong.
Student groups, which were once hard-core supporters of the alliance, disagree with one of the pro-democracy group’s aims to “build a democratic China”, as they believe such a call is futile and that attention should be focused on the future of the city.
Turnout plunges by half as Hongkongers march to remember June 4 Tiananmen crackdown on pro-democracy
During the radio programme, Lee hit back at the claim that commemorating the June 4 crackdown was irrelevant to localism.
He stressed that Hongkongers’ participation in the 1989 pro-democracy movement on the mainland was an important part of local history as well as Hong Kong identity.
For the first time, student leaders will not show up at the candlelight vigil in Victoria Park this year.
Instead, student groups will hold at least three forums on the future of Hong Kong at Chinese University, the University of Hong Kong and in Causeway Bay.
While some have questioned whether it is appropriate to hold forums on the anniversary of the crackdown, Chinese University’s student union president, Ernie Chow Shue-fung, said it was important to reflect on how the June 4 incident had affected the city’s pro-democracy movement in order to find a way forward.
“Since there are so many differences [between students and the alliance], there’s no need for us to be together for the sake of unity,” he said on Commercial Radio.
Political scientist Ivan Choy Chi-keung said the failure of the Occupy movement to bring about change was a significant factor in people turning against the mainland.
“The dissatisfaction has led to [people]wanting to disassociate themselves from the mainland,” he said.
The academic added that since the student movement had for decades been a key player in the city’s pro-democracy movement, the growing antagonism was harmful to Hong Kong’s civil society.


Thanks to Trump, US threat of a ‘peaceful evolution’ recedes for China

Hong Kong police arrest 2, take away 10 at Tiananmen commemoration

2 arrested, 10 taken away as Hong Kong police ramp up Tiananmen vigil patrols

China hits out at Marco Rubio over criticism of 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown

Tiananmen Square crackdown

100,000 will attend June 4 vigil in Hong Kong, organiser predicts

Lee Cheuk-yan says the 1989 pro-democracy movement on mainland China is an important part of local history and Hong Kong identity. Photo: David Wong

Chinese University student union president Ernie Chow Shue-fung attendS The Chinese University of Hong Kong Council meeting on new chairman at the Bank of American Tower in Central. 14APR16 SCMP/ David Wong

News

Hong Kong

Politics

Lee Cheuk-yan plays down the significance of poor turnout for march on Sunday commemorating Beijing’s 1989 crackdown and hits back at student critics
