21st anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre
Open-knowledge reference entry
The 21st anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre began as a small march to commemorate the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre in Hong Kong. Hong Kong and Macau are the only places on Chinese soil where the 1989 crushing of China's pro-democracy movement can be commemorated, and the annual event to commemorate has been taking place in Hong Kong since 1990.
In 2010, the candlelight vigil attracted more than 150,000 participants – the controversies surrounding Hong Kong authorities' treatment of the democracy goddess statues, including a controversial ban by the Chinese University of Hong Kong, were widely cited as having had a significant effect on the turnout.
Background
As the People's Republic of China has publicly embraced the one country, two systems model of governance for Hong Kong, the annual 4 June observance which has become a tradition since 1989 has continued after the transfer of sovereignty from Britain to China. It is the only place on Chinese soil where the event is openly commemorated in any way and on any scale.
In Hong Kong, the anniversary was commemorated in the backdrop of the 2010 Hong Kong by-election, the impending LegCo vote on the reform proposals made as a result of Consultation Document on the Methods for Selecting the chief executive and for Forming the LegCo in 2012, and the leak onto the internet of The Critical Moment – Li Peng Diaries, supposedly an insider's account of the top echelons of Chinese politics leading up to the fateful crackdown in 1989, written by the former Chinese Premier.
Inside mainland China
No discussion about or mention of the 1989 protests is tolerated in mainland China. Attempts to stage public events and protests commemorating the 21st anniversary in Beijing's Tiananmen Square have been largely thwarted by Chinese authorities, activists said. A planned commemoration on the campus of Beijing University failed owing to the presence of large numbers of state security police; "scuffles between police and bystanders" were reported outside the Great Hall of the People and numerous government departments, including the ruling party's Central Propaganda Department. Radio Free Asia reported that dissidents have been warned, put under house arrest, or incarcerated in the run-up to the anniversary.
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