Mike Pompeo says China is trying to deny Hongkongers a voice by banning Tiananmen vigil

Amid the soaring tensions between Beijing and Washington, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reportedly said that China is trying to ‘deny Hong Kongers a voice by preventing Tiananmen vigil’. The candlelight vigil usually attracts huge crowds and is also the only place on Chinese soil where such a major commemoration of the anniversary is still allowed, however, due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic and China’s new security laws, the authorities decided to ban the vigil. 

According to an international media outlet, the prohibition of the annual June 4 vigil was ordered by the Hong Kong police force and it came less than a week after the Chinese Communist authorities in Beijing moved to enact new security laws on the former British colony. Although the authorities justified the ban by enforcing social distancing rules to prevent the spread of COVID-19, however, with fears of limits on free speech and political expression due to the new law it is believed that it was a step by Chinese Communist Party. 

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Tiananmen vigil 

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, hundreds were killed and more than 1,000 perished. Three decades on, the crackdown still remains one of the most sensitive subjects in mainland China, however, in the semi-autonomous city, the member of Tiananmen has been kept alive. 

With the banning of Tiananmen vigil, 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.”

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Meanwhile, the plans by Beijing have also prompted condemnation from foreign governments, investors and Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement as they believe that China is eradicating the freedoms it promised the city under its 1997 handover agreement with Britain. Several countries have raised concerns over the legislation including the US, Britain, the European Union, and so on. However, Hong Kong’s chief executive Carrie Lam has urged residents to wait for the details of the proposed legislation saying it would not affect the city’s rights and freedoms.

(Image credit: AP)

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