No More Double Tenth?

Dr Sun Yat-sen's portrait in Tiananmen Square

 

If there is one thing Taiwan and China can agree on, it is that Dr Sun Yat-sen is the father of modern China.

They both respect him deeply, and Sun's portrait is placed in Tiananmen Square during national holidays, like the National Day holiday that just ended.

"Red House" in Tuen Mun

However being able to pay respects to him in Hong Kong was made impossible today, October 10, Taiwanese National Day, also known as "Double Tenth".

The Double Tenth anniversary commemorates the start of the Wuchang Uprising in Hubei province on October 10, 1911, which ultimately led to the overthrow of the Qing dynasty and resulted in the establishment of the Republic of China, which was led by Sun.

For Kuomintang compatriots in Hong Kong, today they would hold a raising ceremony and sing nationalistic songs and then pay their respects at Hung Lau, or "Red House" in Sun Yat-sen Garden in Tuen Mun. This was one of Sun's former revolutionary bases, and every year until today, over a hundred people would gather.

But this year was completely different.

Apparently the dilapidated home is owned by a mainlander and today it was guarded by black-suited security guards in bright orange vests. The garden was also crawling with police officers, something Mak Ip-sing had never seen before. He has been a longtime organizer of the events and the vice-chairman of the Yuen Long District Council. He studied at a Taiwanese University and his father was a KMT soldier.

Scuffle between a KMT patriot and security guard

Many KMT fled to Hong Kong after the Communists took over China in 1949, so Double Tenth is very important to them and their children.

One or two people tried to approach the over century-old building in Sun Yat-sen Garden and were roughly handled by the sharply-dressed security guards. 

In the end people gave up approaching the building and instead stood in groups of four nearby to sing nationalistic songs to avoid violating the social-distancing regulations.

Mak called off all events involving Taiwanese flags over fears of violating the new national security law.

"Our legal advice suggested that we should not risk falling afoul of the law, which is extremely vague and broad," he said, adding a lunch and dinner banquet had been organized, but the restaurant cancelled the booking at the last minute citing social-distancing measures. Mak believes the restaurant was pressured to cancel the event because it involved displaying Taiwanese flags.

No one was allowed near Hung Lau today

A man surnamed Chen, who wore a blue T-shirt printed with KMT characters, said he was deeply disappointed over being denied access and the lack of Taiwanese flags. Previously there would be many Taiwanese flags flying in the area for the day.

"Do the authorities fear the display of flags will endanger the security of China?" he said. "We are here to honour Sun Yat-sen for his role in ending 2,000 years of imperial rule in China." 

Indeed. Seems the desire to pay their respects to China's founding father has been kiboshed thanks to the more assertive control of Beijing over Hong Kong. 

Perhaps last year was the last year they could do that freely, and the same goes with the candlelight vigil to mark June 4 in Victoria Park, mass peaceful rallies on July 1 and October 1... the list will continue to grow...