HK activist criticises ban of Tiananmen vigil

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong criticised China on Wednesday for banning Hong Kong residents from marking the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989. This year's anniversary, on Thursday, would be the first time that Hong Kong has been unable to commemorate the incident. Normally it's marked by a rally and a march.

But authorities have refused to allow commemorations to go ahead, saying this would breach social distancing measures imposed to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Wong was speaking alongside other activists in a video call with Japan's Foreign Correspondents Club. Wong also called on leaders in Europe to oppose China's plan to impose national security law on Hong Kong, saying it erodes the “one country, two systems” framework promised to the semi-autonomous Chinese territory.

China shocked many of Hong Kong's 7.5 million people when it announced earlier this month that it will enact a national security law for the city, which was promised a high level of autonomy outside of foreign and defence affairs.Wong said he firmly supports the 'Black Lives Matter' movement in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in the United States. ''Especially political crisis must be solved by political system reform. How to hold the police accountable should be the responsibility of the government of the leaders in the United States," he said.