World, Asia - Pacific

Hong Kong, Taiwan remember deadly Tiananmen events

30 years have passed since protestors in Beijing’s Tiananmen square were dispersed after deadly crackdown

Zehra Ulucak  | 05.06.2019 - Update : 05.06.2019
Hong Kong, Taiwan remember deadly Tiananmen events

ANKARA

Tens of thousands of people gathered in China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to mark the 30th anniversary of deadly Tiananmen crackdown.
According to the South China Morning Post, the people of Hong Kong gathered to remember the killed people when the Chinese security forces intervened to quash pro-democracy demonstrations held in the Tiananmen Square of Beijing in 1989.
The Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, the organizer of the event, announced over 180,000 people attended the annual candlelight vigil; however, the police said 37,000 people attended the event.

Commemoration ceremony in Taiwan

According to Focus Taiwan, the English language service of the Central News Agency, reported that the commemoration ceremony held in capital Taipei attracted thousands of demonstrators, including Vice President Chen Chien-Jen.
"History is a mirror that allows us to borrow from the past as a model for the present and to reflect on our past mistakes,” he said, urging China to stop human rights violations and reveal the truth behind the deadly crackdown.
"Unfortunately, most young people in China are clueless about the 1989 incident because this part of history has been completely erased (in China),” he added.
On June 3 to 4, Chinese troops moved towards Tiananmen square of capital Beijing -- where thousands of demonstrators led by students were protesting the government for improved living standards and better political freedom -- and used force to disperse the protestors.
According to the Chinese Red Cross, more than two thousand protestors were killed on the eve of military intervention that included tanks and troops.
The iconic image of the “Tank Man” – who confronted a number of tanks by simply standing still before them – was taken on June 5.
People of Hong Kong gather every year to remember those killed in the protests, on the same day the crackdown happened.

Writing By Ali Murat Alhas Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.