Hong Kong activist challenges China’s Tiananmen taboo from exile in Taiwan

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Exiled activist Fu Tong commemorates the Tiananmen Square massacre amidst Hong Kong's silence on pro-democracy protests

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Fu Tong and his wife Elaine To were among the first demonstrators in Hong Kong to be charged with rioting in 2020 after pro-democracy and anti-China protests started in 2019 in the former British colony.

After leaving for Taiwan, Fu continued his activism and is now preparing to mark this year’s anniversary of Beijing’s bloody June 4, 1989, crackdown on protesters in and around Tiananmen Square.

Fu has co-hosted a Hong Kong human rights exhibition in Taipei, showcasing artwork from the protest movement, and leads guided tours of the displays.

“When Hong Kong can no longer hold the June 4 vigils, and can no longer even mention it, Taiwan’s existence becomes very important,” Fu, 43, told Reuters in Taipei.

“It’s one of the very few places in Asia, where people can openly commemorate the accident on June 4, discuss it, and even condemn the Chinese Communist Party. The existence of such a space is already hugely significant,” he said.

Taiwan is the only part of the Chinese-speaking world where June 4 can be remembered openly, though Chinese communities in the United States, Britain, Australia and other Western countries will also mark it.

In Hong Kong, a national security law has outlawed such events, which previously drew tens of thousands of people.

Fu says he remains committed to advocating for Hong Kong issues and the values of freedom.

“I really feel like I’ve been chosen to be in this era. If I don’t step up to do things that seem foolish and unrewarding, then who will? As long as I can, I’m willing to keep going,” he said.

Before dawn on June 4, 1989, Chinese tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square, crushing weeks of pro-democracy demonstrations by students and workers.

China has never provided a full death toll, but rights groups and witnesses say the figure could run into thousands. Public discussion of what happened is taboo in China, which blamed the protests on counter-revolutionaries seeking to overthrow the ruling Communist Party. – Rappler.com