被拘留的香港社運人士說 : 逮捕是為了“嚇唬”

Recently the Associated Press on-line reported the following:

Detained Hong Kong activist says arrest meant to 'frighten'

ZEN SOO

Sat., June 5, 2021, 5:48 a.m.

HONG KONG (AP) — A Hong Kong activist was released Saturday after being detained on suspicion of publicizing a commemoration of China’s deadly crackdown in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, and said her arrest was meant to have a chilling effect on marking the anniversary.

Chow Hang Tung had helped organize previous candlelight vigils on June 4, and her arrest Friday coincided with the 32nd anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989.

Police said Chow was arrested on suspicion of publicizing an unauthorized assembly. The vigil was banned for a second year running, with authorities in the semi-autonomous Chinese city citing pandemic-related social distancing restrictions.

 “Somehow this prohibition on promoting an unlawful, prohibited assembly became a prohibition on promoting any remembrance of the June 4 massacre, in any form, in any place, in any format by anyone,” Chow told reporters after her release on bail Saturday.

She said the government was using a “quantum leap of logic” in her arrest, and said authorities aimed to “frighten” people and prevent them from marking the Tiananmen crackdown.

She said those working to prevent the commemoration were covering “the crimes of the killers in 1989” and “helping and consolidating this unjust one-party dictatorship.”

Chow is a key member of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which has organized the annual vigil in the city's Victoria Park. In recent days, she said she would still go to the park on her own, despite the ban, and urged others to light candles wherever they were.

Hundreds, if not thousands of people lost their lives when China’s military put down student-led pro-democracy protests in Tiananmen Square. China’s ruling Communist Party has never allowed public events on the mainland to mark the anniversary.

Chinese officials have said that the country’s rapid economic development since what they call the “political turmoil” of 1989 proves that decisions made at the time were correct.

Although police on Friday closed off parts of Victoria Park and arrested Chow, hundreds of Hong Kongers were undeterred, gathering to walk around the perimeter of the park. Many dressed in black and used their phones' flashlights instead of candles.

Across the city, street booths were also set up and small groups gathered in various locations to light candles.

Police said at least six people — four men and two women aged between 20 and 75 — were arrested across Hong Kong as of 11.30 p.m. Friday. They were arrested on suspicion of inciting others to participate in an unauthorized assembly, common assault, criminal damage, disorderly conduct in a public place and obstruction of police.

Translation

香港（美聯社）——一名香港社運人士因涉嫌宣傳對中國在北京天安門廣場進行致命鎮壓的紀念活動而被拘留，週六被釋放。她並表示她被捕是為了對紀念這一周年產生寒蟬效應。

鄒幸彤曾於 6 月 4 日幫助組織了之前的燭光守夜活動，她週五被捕, 恰逢 是1989 年天安門鎮壓 32 週年。

警方稱，鄒因涉嫌宣傳未經授權的集會而被捕。守夜活動是連續第二年被禁止。這座半自治的中國城市的當局, 用與大流行相關的社交距離限制為理由作出禁止。

鄒幸彤週六在保釋後告訴記者說:“不知何故，這項禁止宣傳非法集會的禁令, 變成了禁止任何人以任何方法、任何地點、任何形式宣傳對 6 月 4 日大屠殺的任何悼念”。

她說政府在逮捕她時使用了“大步跳升的邏輯”，並表示當局的目的是“恐嚇”人們, 並阻止他們悼念天安門鎮壓。

她說，那些努力阻止悼念活動的人, 是正在掩飾“1989行兇年殺人的罪行”和“幫助和鞏固這種不公正的一黨專政”。

鄒幸彤是香港市民支援愛國民主運動聯合會的重要成員，該聯合會在該市的維多利亞公園組織了一年一度的守夜活動。最近幾天，她說儘管有禁令，她仍然會自己去公園，並敦促其他人無論身在何處都燃點蠟燭。

當中國軍隊在天安門廣場鎮壓學生領導的民主抗議活動時，數百人甚至數千人喪生。中國執政的共產黨從未允許在大陸舉行悼念週年的公開活動。

中國官員曾表示，自他們所謂的1989 “政治風波”以來，中國經濟的快速發展, 證明當時做出的決定是正確。

儘管警方周五封鎖了維多利亞公園的部分地區並逮捕了鄒，但仍有數百名香港人並沒有被嚇倒，聚集在公園周邊走動。許多人穿著黑色衣服，用手機的手電筒光代替蠟燭光。

 整個城市還設立了街頭攤位，小團體聚集在不同地點點燃蠟燭。

警方表示，截至星期五晚上 11 時 30 分，香港各地至少有 6 人被捕，其中四男兩女年齡在 20 至 75 歲之間。他們因涉嫌煽動他人參與未經批准的集結、普通襲擊、刑事毀壞、在公共場所行為不檢和妨礙警察而被捕。

        I agree with Chau’s viewpoints that those working to prevent the commemoration were covering "the crimes of the killers in 1989". My respect goes to Chow Hang Tung who dares to speak out the truth even knowing that her words could lead to her arrest. In Hong Kong the torch for remembering the Tiananmen Incident of June 4th 1989 has been passed to the younger generation now.

Note: Chow Hang-tung was born in 24^th January 1984. She is a barrister, and also the vice chairman of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China.