Fu Tong and his wife Elaine To were among the first group of Hong Kong activists to be charged with “riot offenses” in 2020. They had participated in the 2019 anti-extradition protests, hoping that the former “Pearl of the Orient” could regain the democracy and freedom it once had.
According to Reuters, Fu Tong later left Hong Kong and came to Taiwan to continue his activism. Currently, he is preparing for this year’s commemoration of the June 4th Incident. On June 4, 1989, the Chinese Communist Party cracked down on patriotic students and citizens who were calling for democracy in Tiananmen Square, leading to a shocking tragedy that reverberated around the world.
However, the Chinese Communist Party has continued to cover up the death toll of the massacre and has banned all commemorative activities related to the June 4th Incident in China and Hong Kong.
“When Hong Kong can no longer hold candlelight vigils for June 4th or even mention this part of history, Taiwan’s existence becomes crucial,” said the 43-year-old Fu Tong in an interview with Reuters in Taipei.
“This is one of the few places in Asia where people can openly commemorate, discuss, and even condemn the Chinese Communist Party regarding June 4th,” he said. “The existence of such a space itself holds significant meaning.”
Taiwan is currently the only place in the Chinese-speaking world where the June 4th Incident can be publicly commemorated. Commemorative events also take place in Western countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
In Taipei, Fu Tong co-organized a human rights exhibition with others from Hong Kong, showcasing artworks from the anti-extradition movement and leading visitors on tours. He mentioned that he remains committed to advocating for Hong Kong issues and the values of freedom.
“I deeply feel that I am someone chosen by this era. If I don’t step up to do these seemingly foolish and thankless tasks, then who will? As long as I can, I am willing to continue,” he said.
In the early hours of June 4, 1989, the Chinese Communist Party used tanks and machine guns to brutally suppress a democratic protest initiated by students and citizens in Tiananmen Square. This patriotic movement lasted several weeks. Starting in mid to late April, large numbers of students and citizens flocked to Beijing from various places, hoping to engage in dialogue with the government to express their demands: anti-corruption, anti-official profiteering, and the pursuit of democracy.
The Chinese Communist Party has never disclosed the full number of casualties from the June 4th Incident, and it remains a taboo topic for them. The Party has labeled the protest as a “counter-revolutionary riot,” accusing the participants of attempting to overthrow the Communist regime.
The first commemorative event for June 4th was held in Hong Kong in 1990, with approximately 100,000 people participating. Since then, Hong Kong briefly became the only place globally where large-scale commemorations for June 4th took place. However, since the mandatory implementation of the National Security Law by the Chinese Communist Party in 2021, annual commemorative events in Hong Kong that used to attract tens of thousands have been completely banned.
In 2020, former Hong Kong pro-democracy activists Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow, Ivan Lam, and Nathan Law attended the candlelight vigil for the June 4th Incident. A year later, they were charged with participating in an unauthorized assembly and were sentenced to 10 months in prison.