STORY about SolidarityMigrationDirect Actionpublié le Juin 5, 2011 by Joseph Jones
Remembering Tiananmen Square in Vancouver
Assembly at Chinese Consulate on June 4
Emblem Commemorating June 4
Also posted by Joseph Jones:
Also in Direct Action:
A crowd of around 200 gathered along the Granville Street sidewalk in front of the Vancouver Chinese consulate at 8:00 pm on Saturday June 4 to observe the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre.
Various signs could be read by an observer limited to the English language: Release Political Prisoners; Redress June 4; Human Rights for China; Support Charter 08; Democracy for China. Amnesty International held up a banner to traffic along Granville Street. Many of the attenders wore T-shirts bearing an emblematic 64 to represent June 4.
Filling the hour of observance were a time of silence, speeches, songs, and the holding aloft of lighted candles. Vancouver Society in Support of Democratic Movement provided a 24-page program. The speech in English reproduced as appendix below was among the presentations. Also handed out were yellow armbands and packets of bookmarks commemorating Szeto Wah (1931-2011).
As dusk fell, a procession formed to place the lighted candles together on the ground at the entrance to the Chinese consulate. Meanwhile, up the hill at Angus Drive, two unmarked patrol cars flashed their lights as officers bent together over a computer screen in one of the vehicles.
Appendix:
Let Us Continue the March — Jeffrey Tsang
In January 2, our beloved Wah Suk, Mr. Szeto Wah, our mentor, leader, comrade and friend in the last 21 years, passed away. He left without seeing the redress of the June 4th student movement or the flourish of democracy in China. Today, we come here to commemorate on one hand, the martyrs who sacrificed for democracy in China 22 years ago; on the other hand, we are here to cherish the memory of our dear Uncle Wah, and other pro-democracy exiles like Liu Binyan, Wang Ruowang who were denied the rights to die in their motherland.
Uncle Wah, though gone, his spirit remains with us. In the final moments of his life, he had not forgotten the historical mission of our generation. Uncle Wah, we are here to demand the redress of June 4. We are here to work towards building democracy in China!
However, we clearly understand that democracy cannot be built overnight. We need to make preparations for the long-term struggle. Recently, the Beijing authority has intensified its oppression of any dissident voices; Democratic development in reverse gear; the rule of law has become a tool of the government to silence his people; human rights situation is even grimmer. In Chongqing, the smell of the Cultural Revolution is brewing.
Last October, Liu Xiaobo, one of the drafter of Charter 08, and winner of Nobel Peace Prize, was sentenced to 11 years in prison and not allowed to go to Norway to accept the award. His wife is still under house arrest. While people around the world were celebrating his achievement, the ugly face of Communist China became an international laughing stock.
Since the beginning of this year, jasmine revolution swept North Africa. The Chinese government is so scared of the impact of the downfall of those authoritarian states on his people, it has detained more than hundred dissidents. One of the high profile cases is the arrest of internationally renowned artist activist Ai Weiwei.
On the other hand, the Communist Party, its members and proteges are monopolizing power and wealth at an unprecedented rate. Social inequalities between rich and poor are appalling. The Chinese people's dignity and life are mercilessly crushed in the name of creating wealth and maintaining harmony. China's environment has suffered so much that even the officials have to admit that the Three Gorges Project is expecting serious consequences.
This year is the 100th anniversary of the Chinese Revolution which ended the Ching Dynasty. However, a hundred years later, after countless sacrifices of the martyrs, democracy in China is still a distant dream.
Today, the grievances of the Chinese people are like a volcano soon to erupt. If the Chinese government still resists the implementation of democracy and the rule of law, the regime will soon be drowned by his angry people. The global trend of democracy cannot be held back. We know that the blood of the martyrs shed in Tiananmen Square 22 years ago will not be wasted. The fifty days of protests in Tiananamen Square, has become a symbol and inspiration of the fight for democracy.
We know that our voices will definitely cross the Pacific, joining force with those from around the world and those from the Chinese people to crush the authoritarian regime that refuses to return the power, wealth and dignity to its people.
Thank you.
Further Reading:
Vancouver's Reaction to the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre
Yolande Cole. Vancouver vigil to commemorate Tiananmen Square anniversary Georgia Straight (3 June 2011)
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