The Victoria Park June 4th Candlelight Gala could not be held for two consecutive years. The 32-year-old Hong Kong Citizens Support Patriotic and Democratic Movement Federation (Stake) was involved in being accused of acting as a foreign agent under the "Hong Kong National Security Act". "Not patriotic", finally decided to disband, today (25th) announced the dissolution, into the final chapter.
Cai Yaochang, a member of the Stake Standing Committee for 17 years, was interviewed by "Hong Kong 01" before the Stake was dissolved.
He recalled that at the beginning of the establishment of the stake, it had long been classified as a "subversive organization" by the state media. The return in 1997 was a "severe" threshold for survival, and the worst plan was to be "sealed."
Although he successfully crossed it, it ended in 2021. There was a series of ups and downs in the middle. He described the "suppression" as only a "pediatrics" compared to today.
Hong Kong no longer has a stake, how can the history of June 4th be maintained?
Cai Yaochang said frankly that it is indeed more difficult than in the past, but he believes that the people's heart will not die and that history can be passed on by the strength of everyone.
He said that if society does not allow large-scale mourning of June 4th next year, one person will choose to mourn publicly; if this method is also forbidden, he will mourn privately, "June 4th told me that it will never be forgotten."
Every year on June 4th, Victoria Park is full of candlelight.
On the 30th anniversary of June 4th in 2019, the conference announced that 180,000 people participated. The police said that there were 37,000 people at the highest peak.
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Every year on the evening of June 4th, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of Hong Kong people gather at Victoria Park to mourn the June 4th victims, regardless of wind, rain, cloudy or sunny.
Holding a candlelight, illuminating the night, chanting slogans, don't forget June 4th, sing rally songs, "Freedom Flower", "Blood-stained Demeanor", "Democracy Will Victory and Return", singing resounded across the sky.
The Stake Standing Committee, together with a group of young people, presented flowers to the Monument to the Martyrs of Democracy and lit the torch on the big platform.
Cai Yaochang stood on the stage for many years, reciting the eulogy in a sad tone, and leading the silent tribute.
This situation may become a remembrance.
The stake officially disbanded today. Cai Yaochang, who has retired as a member of the Standing Committee, is the company secretary of the stake and has been rushing to convene a big meeting for a few months.
Facing the end of the stake, he replied after a short pause, "It's so sad, it can be destroyed all at once, it's hard to imagine and accept it."
June 4th told me that it will never be forgotten.
Cai Yaochang
Cai Yaochang said that the music pavilion in Victoria Park was a common place for early stake assemblies.
(Photo by Liang Pengwei)
Believe that people's hearts are still unpredictable, six or four people will persist in mourning next year
Without the stake, Cai Yaochang believes that there is no organization in Hong Kong that takes the lead in coordinating the mourning of June 4th. Compared with the past 32 years, it will be more difficult to pass on the history of June 4th. Change, whether it will be suppressed by powerful politics, etc.
He predicted that in the future it will be more difficult to assemble public mourning on a large scale, or to move towards a self-decentralized method. He believes that as long as the people’s hearts are still alive, June 4th will not be easily forgotten. Same change."
Tsai Yaochang is not totally pessimistic about how to mourn for June 4th next year. It is difficult to predict whether the political environment will hold June 4th mourning activities in the future.
If the June 4th rally is finally banned, he will choose a person to mourn the June 4th event in public; if this method is not acceptable, he will choose to mourn it privately, "June 4th is told to me, so I will never forget it."
During the 1989 pro-democracy movement, the students announced a hunger strike and asked the government to respond to their demands.
(Provided by the stake)
Before 1997: Uncle Hua was privately persuaded to disband by Wilson Wilson and Tung Chee-hwa
June 4th is a battle between memory and forgetting.
In 1989, the Beijing Student Movement gave birth to the stakes to unite the people of Hong Kong and support the local students in their struggle for democracy. Every June 4th, they will take the lead in mourning and fighting for redress.
In 1989, Cai Yaochang, a core member of the Student Federation, assisted in organizing support for the 1989 democracy movement.
He said that at the beginning of the establishment of the stake, it was classified by the state media as a "subversive organization." After the June 4th incident, the stake had considered that it would be risky to continue, "but felt that it would be done." A week later, the support The Federation was registered as a company limited by guarantee on June 15 and emphasized that the organization and operation must be clear and transparent, and the financial system must be rigorous to ensure safety and security.
On May 21, the conference announced the establishment of the "Hong Kong Citizens Supporting Patriotic and Democratic Movement Federation".
The second from right is Situ Hua.
(Provided by the stake)
In the Hong Kong-British era, the stakes were not without pressure.
According to the memoirs of the founder, Situ Hua, "Going East", in the first few years since the establishment of the Stake Association, whether the then Chief Member of the Legislative Council Li Pengfei, or the then Governor David Wilson through Li Pengfei, and the former Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, even some officials Asking to disband, describe the technique as being more gentle.
Cai Yaochang said that according to the book, the middleman had private contact with Uncle Hua, and the stake before 1997 was basically not publicly suppressed.
He believes that the Stake is an internationally well-known organization, and the June 4th incident has also attracted much attention. More importantly, it is a legally registered organization. "Isn't there any violation of Hong Kong law? How do you feel sad about me?"
At most, you can close the boat, not to pull people!
Cai Yaochang
Cai Yaochang said that the Stake Association once regarded the return of 97 as a severe barrier, and it eventually succeeded in surpassing it.
(Photo by Liang Pengwei)
The worst plan in 1997 was only to "close the boat" without mentioning the dissolution
In the face of the return of Hong Kong's sovereignty in 1997, the Stake once regarded it as a severe hurdle.
Reading through the annual report of the Stake Association from 1993 to 1997, Situ Hua mentioned in the foreword of the report that he must be unwavering and surpass 1997.
Cai Yaochang said that it was estimated that the members of "Operation Cardinals" were at the greatest risk. It is understood that some core members had received a message before the return stating that "no one can guarantee that they will not be settled after 1997." Some people chose to leave Hong Kong.
Cai Yaochang pointed out that the Stake Association had studied and judged that there was a political risk after 1997 and transferred the original data related to the 1989 democracy movement to foreign countries.
Faced with the uncertain prospects, the organization did not propose to dissolve at the time, nor did any members choose to withdraw. The worst plan was to be banned by "pin cards". People, then say you incited subversion of the country and sent you to prison for more than ten or twenty years. It may not be unrecognizable, but it is not the most important and urgent problem."
The stake held a June 4th candlelight party in 1997.
(Provided by the stake)
Looking back on the suppression of "Little Witches and Great Witches" in previous years
After the successful surpassing of 1997, the stake has stood in headwinds for 24 years.
Cai Yaochang, a member of the Stake Standing Committee since 2004, believes that the Stake can survive for many years. First, Article 23 of the Basic Law in 2003 was not successfully enacted and there was no "legal weapon" to deal with the legal organization of the Stake; second, Deng Xiaoping " After the 92nd Southern Tour, it led to a new round of reform and opening up, focusing on economic development.
During the gradual increase in comprehensive national power, he felt that the central government hopes to do a good job in Hong Kong's "one country, two systems", to build trust in the system from the outside world, and at the same time to enhance the international image of the mainland.
Cai Yaochang believes that after 1997, Beijing has always regarded the Stake Association as a "nail in the eye" and "hostile" relationship, "I want you to disappear, at least to be low-key", but it is not regarded as a contradiction that needs to be resolved immediately.
The stakes have survived for many years, and it does not mean that there is no wind and no waves.
He pointed out that after 2003, the Stake Association was also suppressed. For example, in 2010, the statue of the Goddess of Democracy on display in Times Square was confiscated by the police, and some patriotic groups "campaigned to raise banners and yell at you."
Looking back now, he described the method as a "pediatrics," and he bluntly said that it was only a small suppression, compared with the current situation of the stake, it is definitely "a little bit of a witch."
On the 27th anniversary of June 4th in 2016, the theme was "Rehabilitate June 4th, stop arbitrary arrests, end the dictatorship and strive for democracy."
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Political reforms once required the leaders of the Democratic Party to leave the stake
In 2010, the Democratic Party took the lead in establishing the ultimate universal suffrage alliance to promote dialogue among all sectors of society and strive to formulate a road map for universal suffrage. The central government once used the stake as a bargaining chip for political reform negotiations.
Cai Yaochang was also the deputy convener of the alliance at the time. He recalled that together with members of the "Dialogue Group", he had met with senior figures of the organizational organization on the political reform plan.
He refused to reveal the identity of the other party, but remembered that the other party had talked about the stake many times in the meeting, and he had stated clearly to him, "If you want to communicate, you must stay away from the stake."
According to the published "Democratic Party Political Reform Panel Report", the first Secretary of Justice Liang Aishi sent a message to the Central Committee at the time and told the party chairman He Chunyan who was the secretary of the stake that the Central Committee was interested in discussing political reform issues with the Democratic Party. , And even expressed the hope that the party leader will gradually alienate the stake.
He Junren stated that he would not accept the last request, while Liang said that the relevant issues could be resolved for a longer period of time and would not affect the political reform talks at that time.
Later, the Democratic Party entered into a dialogue with the Liaison Office of the Central Committee, and the political reform plan was passed.
I believe that in 1997, after 1997, the headshot of the imagination at that time was not enough for national security.
Cai Yaochang
After losing the stake, it is more difficult to refuse to forget June 4th than in the past. However, Cai Yaochang firmly believes that the popular support is still there and will not easily forget June 4th.
(Photo by Liang Pengwei)
Stake is accused of being a "foreign agent" standing member in custody or detention
The situation in which Beijing and the Panmins had discussions and discussions in the past is no longer.
After the anti-amendment law turmoil in 2019, the National Security Law of the Port District was implemented in July last year. The political environment in Hong Kong changed drastically. Many civil organizations announced their dissolution one after another. The Stake Association was one of them.
The National Security Department of the police accused the Stake as a "foreign agent," and 7 members of the Standing Committee were charged with violating the "National Security Law." Three of them were charged with inciting subversion of state power.
The June 4th Guild Hall, which was the site of the meeting, was sealed up by the police. The official website of the stake containing the June 4th information must be closed, and the 32-year-old stake was disbanded.
The outcome of the stake is hard to imagine. "I believe that at the time of 1997, after 1997, the headshot of the imagination at that time was not enough for national security. The maximum number is 23."
After the death of General Secretary Hu Yaobang of the Communist Party of China in 1989, a magnificent democratic movement broke out in Beijing. Students occupied Tiananmen Square, demanding anti-government, anti-corruption and fighting for democracy and freedom.
(Provided by the stake)
If one day, public mourning for June 4th is not allowed, Cai Yaochang said he would insist on mourning privately.
(Photo by Liang Pengwei)
Stake Disbandment｜Introduce candlelight to mourn the first June 4th Standing Committee Member Zeng Jiancheng's worries that the history of June 4th disappeared in Hong Kong Stake Association︱Xingtong Zou insisted on opposing the dissolution. Rumors said the memorial hall was installed with an eavesdropper and is no longer safe. Send a letter calling for active dissolution of stakes: the best plan
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