Taiwan was due on Tuesday to mark 35 years since Chinese soldiers fired on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, with a series of events including a silent prayer, art exhibitions and a candlelight display.
The day, known simply as “June 4th” to Chinese speakers, inspires monuments and activities around the world in honor of dead democracy activists, but the island’s capital, Taipei, has taken on the added significance of being the only place in the Chinese-speaking world where a memorial is openly held.
The event will be hosted on the grounds of Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, named after Taiwan’s previous authoritarian leader. Since the island’s democratic transition, the venue has served as a staging ground for protests and human rights rallies.
While the vigil will be primarily about remembering the Tiananmen Square massacre, it will feature booths representing other political causes, ranging from Tibet to Hong Kong and Taiwanese civil society organizations.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said in a post on Facebook that it was important to respond to authoritarianism with freedom and that the memory of June 4 would not disappear.
“This reminds us that democracy and freedom do not come easily and that we must build consensus with democracy and respond to authoritarianism with freedom,” Lai wrote.
“The memory of June 4th will not disappear in the torrent of history. We will continue to work hard to make this historical memory last forever and move everyone who cares about Chinese democracy.”
Taipei takes over from Hong Kong, a former British colony that for 30 years hosted the world’s largest annual Tiananmen Square vigil until pro-democracy protests in 2019, resulted in a broad political crackdown.
At its peak in 2019, the Hong Kong vigil drew a record 180,000 people as the city simmered with political frustration, but no formal remembrance has been permitted since then due at first to COVID-19 limits on gatherings and, later, to national security laws.
The Hong Kong group that organized the vigil folded in 2021, citing the new political situation, and its leaders were prosecuted for subversion and sedition for their involvement in a 2019 democracy rally. No other organization has stepped up to take its place.
On Tuesday, police in Hong Kong tightened security around Victoria Park, where June 4 candlelight vigils had been held annually, witnesses said.
Last Tuesday, Hong Kong police arrested six people for sedition under a national security law enacted this year, stemming from what media said were online posts linked to June 4. Two more have been arrested since.
Edited by Mike Firn.
