香港大學要求支聯會移走校內「國殤之柱」，見證了我城正在消失中的自由。港人依依不捨前往告別。
丹麥藝術家高志活（Jens Galschiøt）的 8 米高雕塑由交織在一起的裸體組成、有多個扭曲面容痛苦的人，象徵血腥鎮壓的死傷者，是香港紀念 1989 年 6 月 4 日北京天安門大屠殺傳統的最後象徵之一。最近5周，支聯會被迫解散，其領導人因煽動顛覆國家政權被捕，六四博物館被警方搜查並沒收展品，其網站被香港封鎖。今年警方更史無前例地封鎖了維園，以阻止長達 30年的年度六四燭光晚會。
作為香港第一學府，港大要求移除國殤之柱，是打算在國家安全法的幽靈下犧牲其百年歷史的學術自由傳統。
港大已經關閉了逾百年傳統的學生會，禁止學生領袖進入校園，並拒絕幫助兩名因恐怖主義被捕的學生領袖。類似的情況也發生在中文大學。
中國於 2020 年 6 月 30 日通過了嚴厲的香港國家安全法。與國安法相關的最令人震驚的事件包括大規模逮捕參與 2021 年 1 月 6 日初選的民主派人士，以及 6 月 17 日逮捕支持民主的媒體蘋果日報的高層和編輯。它的辦公室遭到警方搜查，資產被凍結，導致 6 月 24 日停止出版。
今年3月，北京大幅縮減了香港立法會和行政長官選舉的選民人數，創造了一個民主人士幾乎不可能被提名的制度。候選人必須經過親北京團體和國安警察的預先篩選。實際上，沒有北京的批准，任何人都不能參加香港的重大選舉。
目前，香港幾乎所有主要的民主派領袖已被囚、面臨起訴或已經流亡海外。
在過去一年，近 50 個公民團體已經關閉或保持沉默，其中包括黃之鋒領導的香港衆志、公民黨、法政匯思和民間人權陣線，後者每年 7 月 1 日組織遊行集會。 8月，專業教育人員協會，結束其48年的歷史。 9月，香港最大的工會職工盟被迫解散。對香港公民社會的清洗仍在進行中。
「老人豈能夠殺光年輕人」，這句烙印在國殤之柱基座上的文字，香港人永不忘記。
Hong Kongers bid goodbye to the Pillar of Shame as Hong Kong University (HKU) demands it removal, a testament to the city’s vanishing freedoms.
The 8-metre-high sculpture by Danish artist Jens Galschiøt, composed of intertwined naked bodies with mouths agape and outstretching hands, is one of the last remaining symbols of Hong Kong’s tradition of commemorating the Beijing Tiananmen Massacre on June 4th, 1989. In the last 5 weeks, the Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China has been forced to disband, its leaders arrested for incitement to subvert state power, the June Fourth Museum has been raided with exhibits removed, and its website blocked from Hong Kong. Police locked down Victoria Park unprecedently this year to prevent the June 4 vigil, an annual tradition for 3 decades.
In requesting the removal of the Pillar of Shame, Hong Kong’s top university is signalling that it will sacrifice its century-old tradition of academic freedom under the spectre of National Security Law.
HKU has already shut down the century-old Student Union, barring student leaders from campus and left 2 student leaders unaided after being arrested for terrorism. Similar situations happened at the Chinese University.
China passed its draconian Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL) on June 30, 2020. The most shocking NSL- related incidents were the
mass arrests of prodemocracy politicians for participating in a primary election on 6 January 2021, and of senior management and editors of the prodemocracy media Apple Daily for colluding with foreign forces on 17 June. It’s offices were raided, assets frozen, resulting in ceased publication on 24 June.
In March, Beijing significantly reduced the size of the electorate for elections for Hong Kong’s Legislative Council and Chief Executive, creating a system where democrats find almost impossible to be nominated. Candidates must be pre-screened by pro-Beijing groups and the NSL-police. Effectively, no one can run in Hong Kong’s major elections without Beijing’s stamp of approval.
Currently, almost all of the city’s prominent democracy leaders are either in jail, facing prosecution or have fled overseas.
Nearly 50 civil society organisations have shut down or gone silent in the last 12 months, including Demosisto led by Joshua Wong, Civic Party, Progressive Lawyers Group and Civil Human Rights Front, organiser of the annual July 1 protest rally. In August, Professional Teachers’ Union was disbanded, ending its 48 years of history. In September, Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, its largest labour union, was forced to close. The purge of Hong Kong’s civil society is still ongoing.
“The old cannot kill the young forever”, these words imprinted on the base of the Pillar of Shame will not be forgotten by Hongkongers.
