Hong Kong University orders demolition of statue commemorating Tiananmen Square massacre

The University of Hong Kong has ordered the removal of a statue commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre, a direct indication of CCP’s growing power in the autonomous city-state. The 26-foot high copper statue was the centrepiece of Hong Kong’s annual candlelight vigil on June 4 which commemorates student protesters killed by Chinese troops in 1989.

Sculpted by Danish Sculptor Jens Galschiot, the gigantic statute called the ‘Pillar of shame’ features 50 anguished faces and tortured bodies piled atop each other and was in place for 24 years. 

The Hong Kong University announced the decision in an online statement asking the Hong Kong Alliance (HKA)-a disbanded group in charge of organising the annual march- to remove the statue by October 13. “If you fail to remove the sculpture … it will be deemed abandoned,” the letter said. Meanwhile, soon after the decision was announced, the statue’s creator Jens Galschiot lambasted the University, reckoning that he was “shocked” to see the desecration of the memorial of such an important event in Chinese history. 

Tiananmen crackdown

The Tiananmen crackdown began in 1989 when China’s leaders sent tanks and troops to quell student protesters calling for democracy and an end to corruption. According to reports, more than 1,000 perished. Three decades on, the crackdown remains one of the most sensitive subjects in mainland China. However, in the semi-autonomous city, the memory of Tiananmen has been kept alive. 

Sharon Hom, executive director of Human Rights in China said, "The ban comes amid an alarming acceleration of attacks on the autonomy of Hong Kong and the undermining of the rights and freedoms of the Hong Kong people guaranteed under Hong Kong and international law”. 

Even Amnesty International believes that the authorities should have facilitated a socially distanced vigil rather than banning it. “COVID-19 must not be used as an excuse to stifle freedom of expression," said Joshua Rosenzweig, the group's deputy director for East and Southeast Asia. “With this ban and a disastrous national security law looming, it is not clear if Hong Kong’s Tiananmen vigil will ever be allowed to take place again.”

(Image: AP)