Hong Kong newspaper runs blank front page ahead of Tiananmen anniversary

Hong Kong was the only place on Chinese soil where people could mourn those who died in the Tiananmen Square crackdown, but public forms of commemoration, such as candlelight vigils, were banned or driven underground – Copyright AFP ENRIQUE CASTRO

A Christian newspaper in Hong Kong has left its front page mostly blank ahead of the 35th anniversary of China’s 1989 crackdown on Tiananmen Square protesters as concerns grow about the decline of liberties in the city.

The Christian Times weekly wrote in its latest issue, seen online on Saturday, that it “cannot respond to the current situation except by turning paragraphs into empty squares and white spaces”, adding that society has become “restrictive”.

Hong Kong was the only place on Chinese soil where people could mourn those who died on June 4, 1989, when the government sent troops and tanks to crush pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing.

But public forms of commemoration, such as candlelight vigils, have been banned or driven underground since Beijing imposed a national security law on the city in 2020.

Hong Kong this week arrested seven people for sedition, accusing them of making social media posts that “took advantage of a sensitive future date.”

The Christian Times usually publishes Tiananmen-related content before each anniversary, but this year it said the front page could not be printed “due to a problem”.

“In recent years, Hong Kong society has changed drastically and become more restrictive,” the newspaper said in an editorial published alongside another largely redacted article.

“Even a prayer based on historical memories can cause ‘concern’.”

Hong Kong Bishop Stephen Chow called for forgiveness and healing this week in an article that obliquely references the June 4 anniversary.

“It’s still a pain point that needs to be properly addressed… However, I realize that I cannot wait and must move forward,” Chow wrote.

A Catholic mass commemorating the victims of the Tiananmen crackdown – which has been held annually for more than three decades – has been canceled in 2022 after organizers said they feared it would run afoul of Hong Kong law.

Hong Kong authorities have said the national security law is needed to stem violence and restore order after massive pro-democracy protests in 2019, while critics have accused the law of curtailing fundamental freedoms.