1,000 Activists Commemorate Tiananmen

Gathering to commemorate the Tiananmen Square military crackdown, more than 1,000 activists marched in Hong Kong on Sunday and vowed to keep fighting until China becomes a democracy.

The protesters chanted slogans and sang patriotic songs. They marched under the blazing sun amid a sea of black-and-white placards that said: “Demand accountability for 6.4 massacre,” and “Don’t forget June 4.”

Several protesters carried a wooden coffin during the four-mile march to the downtown government headquarters to commemorate the dead from the 1989 crackdown.

“While we’re seeing momentous economic developments in China, why aren’t we also seeing the end of one-party rule?” asked labor unionist and independent lawmaker Leung Yiu-chung.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of people were killed when tanks and troops descended on demonstrators at Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the early hours of June 4, 1989.

Beijing officially regards the student-led demonstrations as an attempt to overthrow the government. Hong Kong activists hold frequent protests to demand that Beijing release all jailed dissidents and reassess the 1989 demonstrations.

Organizers said about 2,000 people attended the march Sunday, although the crowd appeared slightly smaller. Police did not immediately give their estimate.

The demonstrators said younger people should learn about the importance of democracy in China and Hong Kong.

“Time erodes our memories. China has no hope unless the new generation understands the importance of democracy,” said Andrew To, a veteran activist and a district councilor of the popular Democratic Party.

Taiwan elected Chen Shui-bian as president in March, generating attacks from Beijing, which distrusts the former pro-independence opposition leader.