Hong Kongers are seeking innovative ways to commemorate the victims of China's deadly Tiananmen Square crackdown after authorities banned an annual vigil and vowed to stamp out any protests come Friday's anniversary -- @AFP
Local artist Kacey Wong has collected hundreds of spent candle stubs from previous vigils and plans to give them to residents on Friday night.
"Each burned candle contains a person's mourning towards those who sacrificed themselves in pursuit of democracy, as well as one's longing for democracy, a mix of complex emotions," Wong told @AFP. "I hope they can continue to shine the way towards freedom and democracy."
Activists say authorities will struggle to eliminate all acts of commemoration in a city that still seethes with resentment towards Beijing after 2019's huge and often violent democracy protests were stamped out.
Historically, the Tiananmen vigil candles are lit at 8.09 pm -- representing 1989.
Albert Ho -- a now-jailed former lawmaker and one of the vigil organisers -- suggested Hong Kongers could light candles or shine mobile phone lights in their local neighbourhoods.
“We can regard the whole of Hong Kong as Victoria Park and spread out our candlelights,” he told @SCMPNews before he was sentenced last week for attending previous democracy protests.
Artist Pak Sheung-chuen has called on residents to write the numbers six and four -- representing June 4 -- on light switches as a way to memorise Tiananmen every time they turn them on.
This @SCMPNews piece contains a couple of quotes from HK govt insiders that suggest this new administration looks set to be ideologically in lockstep with Xi-era Beijing, with potential repercussions for international business in HK
Western multinationals and local tycoons published newspaper adverts on Monday congratulating John Lee on becoming Hong Kong's next leader, following a rubber-stamp selection process condemned by critics as anti-democratic — @AFP
Western businesses have found themselves in an increasingly precarious position in Hong Kong, especially as geopolitical tensions have risen with China.
Many have embraced progressive political causes in western markets, such as the anti-racism Black Lives Matter movement, same-sex equality and ridding supply chains of labour abuses.
Hong Kong commerce sec Edward Yau just announced that a new film censorship law will be passed.
Two big items stand out.
National security censorship will now extend to any past films (not just future ones).
Up to 3 years jail HK$1m fine for showing unapproved films.
This comes after authorities in June announced they had updated the city's film censorship ordinance to include any content that breaches "national security"
Hong Kong has always been a pretty transient place for white collar immigrants (I hate the word expats) and foreigners get used to leaving dos.
But I feel like barely a week goes by now without me hearing of someone - both senior & middle management - deciding to head overseas
Of the anecdotal cases I’ve heard personally, Beijing’s crackdown is a partial cause.
While it doesn’t tend to personally effect the foreigners leaving, it has irrevocably changed the city & blanketed this once outspoken, freewheeling town in a very different atmosphere.
But the most constant reason I hear is Hong Kong’s pandemic imposed isolation from the rest of the world — and the reality that this is unlikely to change any time soon.
This is not about weekends in Hoi An. Many foreigners haven’t seen family for two years or more.
For the last few days pretty much every time I open @Twitter I get promoted content from these totes organic accounts that just happen to be push the Chinese gov’t’s narrative.
Oh look, another #FoBack. Bio also just happens to share the exact same phrasing — including the extra space before “impartial” — with our buddy EdwardL10327994. Shurely shome mishtake?