The thousands who gathered in Hong Kong last night to commemorate those who died in the Tiananmen crackdown 14 years ago provided a powerful reminder of the strength of feeling the tragedy still evokes in the city. An estimated 50,000 people flocked to Victoria Park last night for the annual candlelit vigil, a turnout slightly higher than last year's.
While the passing of time has diminished, if not extinguished, the importance attached to the date of June 4 in other parts of the world, in Hong Kong it remains firmly embedded in the collective memory. The crackdown on the democratic movement in Beijing in 1989 has played a fundamental part in shaping the city's political environment and, indeed, the arrangements for its governance after returning to China in 1997. This one, striking historical event, is inextricably linked to the city's identity and its relationship with the mainland.
But it is more than that. Since the change of sovereignty, it has served as perhaps the most compelling evidence that the concept of 'one country, two systems' is alive and well.
The fact that thousands are allowed to gather, on Chinese soil, to commemorate the dead and to call for a reversal of the official verdict on Tiananmen provides Hong Kong people and the international community with the greatest reassurance that our freedoms remain intact.
Dark clouds
However, participants at this year's vigil were aware that dark clouds are on the horizon. While the high turnout may be partly attributed to June 4 falling on a public holiday, making it easier for people to attend, another reason for the surge in interest is the pending enactment of new security laws in Hong Kong.
