The order by Hong Kong's authorities to remove a memorial dedicated to the Tiananmen massacre shows Beijing's grip over its culture of remembrance: The central government wants to force the world to forget the incident. Because coming to terms with the past does not fit the agenda of China's leadership.
By Table.Briefings
The "wrong" title of an academic paper is reason enough for the online professional network LinkedIn to make a user's profile invisible in China. The company defends itself as a strong supporter of freedom of expression but submits to pressure from Beijing. The case of a Swedish LinkedIn user shows how determined the People's Republic is to ban unpleasant topics from discourse.
By Marcel Grzanna
One of Beijing's cemeteries holds a dark secret. In eight graves lie urns with the ashes of young men. They died in a hail of bullets on the night of June 4, 1989, when the army put down student protests at gunpoint. The police only allow their parents and relatives to visit these graves. The massacre is taboo. In Hong Kong, the traditional candlelight service planned for today in Victoria Park has been banned, as it was in 2020. The cemetery is the only place in China where remembrance still has a public place.
By Table.Briefings
For years, the Chinese government has been working hard to erase the memories of the Tiananmen massacre from the population, using censorship and the coercion of activists. The campaign against remembrance has now reached Hong Kong, where hundreds of thousands used to gather for the annual vigil. Hong Kong teachers face punishment for teaching the background and details of the bloody events. Dissidents warn of a history distortion in the West as well.
By Marcel Grzanna
Just over a week before the anniversary of the suppression of the Tiananmen demonstrations, the state in Hong Kong is tightening control. Vigils for the victims are banned. Yet there would be plenty of reason for protests: With a highly controversial electoral law reform, the alignment of the systems is making further progress – and increasing the flight of politically interested residents of the city to the UK.
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