Alliance Member Blasts Banning of June 4 Vigil

 

Chow speaks to the media blasting those who banned the vigil

In a follow-up to the Friday morning arrest of Chow Hang-tung, vice-chair of democracy group that organizes the annual June 4 candlelight vigil, she was released the day after the 32nd anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown.

She was detained by police for allegedly publicizing the banned candlelight vigil that has been held in Victoria Park for 30 years until 2019. The event was banned last year and this year, citing the pandemic as the reason for people not to gather.

Chow was arrested by plain clothes policemen

"I reject all the allegations," said Chow, of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China. 

"The arrest yesterday [June 4] is obviously an unjust preventive arrest with a blatant purpose of stopping myself from physically being in Victoria Park and to frighten other people from doing the same."

Chow was released on HK$10,000 (US$1,300) bail and must report back to the police on July 5. 

On May 29 the 37-year-old barrister wrote on her Facebook page that "lighting a candle is not a crime", and said she would do so on June 4.

When she was released from the police station, she had strong words for those who were complicit in her arrest.

"I want to tell everyone who participated in all this, don't hind behind the technical provision of the public order ordinance anymore. Open your eyes and see what you are actually doing. What you're actually doing is to cover up the crime of the killers in 1989," she said to a group of reporters.

7,000 police were out in force on Friday in HK

"You are deepening the wounds of all those families, victims, who have been suffering for 32 years without justice. You are helping in consolidating this unjust one-party dictatorship."

She also said she would continue to speak out.

"They want to threaten the media by saying if you are doing more interviews on this sensitive topic, your interviewees will get arrested," Chow said.

While she was detained by the police, Chow fasted to remember the victims from 32 years ago, demonstrating her unwavering conscience and values.