Letters | Keeping the Tiananmen flame alive for 30 years: Hong Kong should be proud

Year after year, Hongkongers put their personal problems aside for one night to ensure Tiananmen of June 4, 1989 is not forgotten

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Those gathered hold up their candles in memory of the victims of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, on the 30th anniversary of the June 4 vigil in Victoria Park, Causeway Bay. Photo: Winson Wong

Published: 8:00am, 9 Jun 2019Updated: 12:47pm, 10 Jun 2019

I refer to your article, “Hong Kong keeps Tiananmen crackdown memory alive with ‘record-breaking’ mass vigil” (June 5). For a city to stand by an ideal for 30 consecutive years is, in itself, a record and an achievement. As such, we should all be proud of the huge turnout at Victoria Park on Tuesday evening.

Being a diligent local citizen, I have attended the vigil quite a few times in the last decades. The atmosphere of unity and brotherhood is strong. Attendees help each other to light and relight candles, share plastic sheets to sit on the wet grass (it happens to rain every time), share programme lists to follow through the activities of the night, and so on. The exchange of greetings and warm smiles among strangers are frequent.

We all have our own cares and worries. To forget them all and just sit on the soccer pitch for two hours for a shared cause is heavenly.

Everyone knows that nothing much can be done to change the status quo in China, but we hope that our humble gestures can let the authorities know our stance.

Jacqueline Kwan, Mid-Levels

Flowers are laid at the Pillar of Shame at the University of Hong Kong in Pok Fu Lam to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989. Photo: Nora Tam

No conflict over Tiananmen death toll, just disbelief