Mission World - July, 2009

09.07.2009

Tiananmen is not a dead issue

China (SE) - Although the chief executive of the Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong, Donald Tsang Yam-kuen, apologised for a remark made in the Legislative Council on May 13 over the June 4 Tiananmen Square massacre 20 years ago, he did not apologise for running the central government line that attributes the crackdown with producing the current economic prosperity level of both Hong Kong and mainland China.

Repression is still going on, as evidenced in refusing to allow people in exile to return home and groups like the Tiananmen Mothers to mourn their dead children publicly.  How can we write it off as something that happened a long time ago?

While it is true that both the mainland and Hong Kong have experienced continued and considerable economic growth in the 20 years since Tiananmen, neither Tsang nor the authorities in Beijing can argue that there is a causal connection between the crackdown and the prosperity of recent times.

Even in a time of war, a massacre of protesting, unarmed civilians can never be acceptable.

Also, economic prosperity in itself is not automatically a glorious thing. In 20 years of unprecedented growth in China, we have seen the growth of a mind set that puts money before everything else and where economic achievement forgives a multitude of sins, from marketing fake products to putting poison in baby formula, not to mention massive corruption at all levels of administration.

While the chief executive has the right to freedom of speech, as any other person in Hong Kong, every Christian should understand that the exercise of all freedom must be done with responsibility, one part of which is the development of a just and informed conscience. Everyone has the responsibility to make amends for wrongs done and, a public person misleading the public is no exception.

Large turnout for Tiananmen commemoration

Hong Kong (UCAN) - The annual Tiananmen Square commemoration attracted over 150,000 people in Hong Kong's Victoria Park to mark the 20th anniversary of the violent suppression of student protesters in Beijing.

Security was also stepped up.  Former student leaders involved in the June 4, 1989 protest, including Xiang Xiaoji and Wu'er Kaixi were denied entry into Hong Kong and Macau. Xiang was barred on June 2 while Wu'er was sent back to Taiwan.

Before the ceremonies nearly 200 Catholics gathered to pray for democratic reforms in China and vindication for the thousands of victims of the crackdown.

Paul Ng Wai-kit, led a Catholic group of young people born in 1989 in the annual march. He has been a member of Hong Kong diocese's Justice and Peace Commission (JPC) for more than 20 years and is currently its chairperson.

Commenting on the Tiananmen crackdown, he said, "Initially we were agitated. Many people expected the communist regime would end shortly after its violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrations, but actually it is not easy to change reality overnight."

However, Ng said, "We Catholics should hold on to our aspirations with faith and hope, even though two decades have passed.

The annual commemoration is not to redress a grievance or take revenge but to continue the cause that students and other civilians have shed their blood for," the veteran Church activist said.