June 4 Vigil Remains a Memory

The group that held the annual June 4 vigil has let go its staff

Due to "fierce and political oppression", the group that organized the annual Tiananmen Square candlelight vigil has dismissed its entire staff, while half of the committee members have resigned.

In a statement on Saturday, the 32-year-old Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China said only seven committee members remain, including chairman Lee Cheuk-yan, and vice chairmen Albert Ho Chun-yan, and Chow Hang-tung, who are currently in jail.

"The political environment in Hong Kong has deteriorated sharply in the past year, while the alliance has been challenged by increasingly fierce and obvious political repression. After evaluating the political situation and holding repeated discussions, we have decided to adopt relevant precautions," the statement said.

Three of the committee members are in jail

All staff would be dismissed by the end of July and compensated accordingly, the group said, and they would continue to operate despite drastically less manpower.

"We hope to protect our staff as much as we can," the statement said. It is understood there are less than 10 full-time and part-time staff working for the alliance.

"It is true that the drastic reduction of committee members, the dismissal of all the staff, and the withdrawal of some member groups in recent months will have an impact on our future operations... yet despite all the difficulties and challenges, we will keep going, step by step."

The group's secretary, Richard Tsoi Yiu-cheong said he struggled for a long time deciding to step down.

"It is a tough decision, but we have decided to take this collective action after considering all the potential threats we are facing," he said, adding the alliance would still continue to organize activities, including commemorating Nobel Peace Laureate Liu Xiaobo on Tuesday. 

"Some of us may work as volunteers when necessary. The alliance still exists, but on a smaller scale. Currently we also have no plans to change any of our operational goals," he said.

The museum was forced to close before June 4

The "operational goals" are: the release of dissidents, vindication of the 1989 pro-democracy movement, accountability for the Tiananmen crackdown, an end to one-party rule in mainland China, and the building of a democratic country.

However, pro-establishment figures say calling an end to Beijing's "one-party rule" would be an act of subversion under Hong Kong's national security law .

But some legal experts disagree, saying subversion has only been committed if a person resorts to the "use of force or threat of force or other unlawful means" to achieve their goal.

The group has been under pressure since the police banned the candlelight vigil in Victoria Park on June 4 for the second year in a row due to the coronavirus pandemic, and on the same day, Chow Hang-tung was arrested and later charged with knowingly taking part in an illegal assembly.

The alliance's June 4 museum was also forced to shut, following a licensing complaint.

It seems it may only be a matter of time before the group may have to completely disband, with collective memories only being individual ones the government intends to extinguish.