Dharamshala, 24th December: Late on Wednesday, a prominent statue commemorating the Tiananmen Square massacre was taken from the University of Hong Kong. To remember the hundreds, if not thousands, of pro-democracy protestors killed by Chinese authorities in 1989, the statue depicted piled-up bodies. It was one of the few remaining public tributes to the incident in Hong Kong. Its demise coincides with Beijing’s increased crackdown on political dissent in Hong Kong.
The city was once one of the few in China to allow public remembrance of the Tiananmen Square demonstrations, a contentious issue in the country. Tiananmen Square in Beijing became the focal point for protestors advocating for greater political liberties in 1989. Thousands of protesters slept in the area for weeks, but the military stepped in in June and opened fire.
The university had originally ordered the removal of the statue, known as the Pillar of Shame, in October. The first evidence that the statue was being removed came late Wednesday when university authorities erected a plastic sheeting barrier around it. The 8m (26ft) copper statue was dismantled overnight behind plastic barricades by construction workers. Security guards attempted to prevent reporters from approaching and filming.
For over two decades, the monument had stood on campus. Even that had to be dismantled and removed, and it had to be done in the dead of night. As the statue came down, there was a sound of cracking and drilling, but no one could see what was going on. The unexpected removal was seen by many as yet another disrespect to the city’s identity. The statue, which has been on display on the university’s campus for 24 years, will be stored, according to the university.
Wang Dan, a student leader who survived the Tiananmen Square crackdown and now lives in the United States, slammed the move, accusing the Chinese Communist Party of attempting to “cover up their crimes”, according to BBC.
The statue’s removal follows a low-turnout Hong Kong legislature election in which pro-Beijing candidates swept to power. Last year, Beijing enacted a tough national security law that makes secession, subversion, terrorism, and cooperation with foreign forces illegal. Activists claim that the law is being used to stifle civil society, imprison democracy activists, and restrict basic liberties. The Chinese government has frequently claimed safety and public health concerns as justifications for prohibiting commemorations of the Tiananmen Square massacre, such as vigils.
Leave a Reply