Former Hong Kong Vigil Organizer Quietly Preserves Memory of Tiananmen Crackdown

Tang Ngok-kwan, a 58-year-old former organizer in Hong Kong, continues to discreetly mark the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, visiting historical sites like Victoria Park even after authorities banned the annual candlelight vigil and prosecuted his fellow activists under a Beijing-imposed national security law, according to reporting by The Associated Press.

Tang bowed and read a list of victims in a low voice on the eve of the anniversary at Victoria Park, where tens of thousands once gathered for the only large-scale public commemoration of the crackdown in China, as reported by The Associated Press. He also occasionally returns to two university campuses where commemorative sculptures once stood before most physical traces vanished. These personal commemorations persist despite a tightening political climate where the crackdown remains a political taboo on mainland China and public mourning has been systematically dismantled in the former British colony.

Activists Convicted Under National Security Law

Two of Tang’s former colleagues and their vigil-organizing group were convicted under the national security law, facing maximum prison terms of 10 years, according to The Associated Press. Government-approved judges ruled that the pair had incited others to overthrow the leadership of China’s Communist Party through unlawful means. Observers note that these convictions reflect the decline in freedoms since the territory returned to Chinese rule in 1997.

Tang stated to The Associated Press that the arguments presented in the verdict failed to convince him and that he felt wronged on behalf of those convicted. He noted that the legal action has created a sense of wariness.

Following the coalition’s conviction, my impression is that any future mention of the group will be accompanied by a cautious atmosphere.

Tang Ngok-kwan via The Associated Press

Decades of Activism and the 1989 Crackdown

Tang’s involvement began when he joined a wave of people who marched in Hong Kong supporting student-led pro-democracy protests in Beijing in May 1989, according to The Associated Press. Unable to find sleep on the night of June 3-4, Tang stayed awake as military tanks entered central Beijing to suppress the demonstrations, an operation that caused hundreds and potentially thousands of fatalities. Shortly afterward, some members of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China and other sympathizers mobilized to help bring those wanted by authorities to safety.

The alliance subsequently ran the massive public candlelight vigil that attracted tens of thousands of people annually for three decades. Tang transitioned from a volunteer to a core member, working behind the scenes for years. He carries a moral burden stemming from the belief that Hong Kong’s support might have left the students in a position with no easy exit in 1989, according to The Associated Press.

Dismantling of the Alliance and Campus Memorials

Authorities banned the annual vigil in 2020, citing risks to public health during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Beijing imposed the security law weeks later, saying it was necessary for the city’s stability following massive protests in 2019, as reported by The Associated Press. Pressure mounted against the coalition in 2021 after a mainland Chinese official found fault with individuals reciting slogans calling for the end of one-party rule, leading law enforcement to demand records concerning its operational procedures and financial accounts due to suspected overseas democratic affiliations and allegations of acting as a foreign agent.

The alliance refused to cooperate, telling reporters in September 2021 that the request was an “abuse of power,” according to The Associated Press. Tang knew by then he would be imprisoned for not handing in the information, recalling he was frightened when he saw a large crowd of reporters at the venue.

It really feels like everyone is watching how you die and then coming to see you off on your way.

Tang Ngok-kwan via The Associated Press

Tang was arrested days later over the refusal, alongside several other core members, while alliance chair and vice-chairs Lee Cheuk-yan, Chow Hang-tung, and Albert Ho were charged under the security law, according to The Associated Press. In the aftermath, the group voted to dissolve itself, while late 2021 saw the dismantling of two commemorative statues and a single relief across university properties.