About 300 people joined activists’ annual candlelight vigil in Largo do Senado Tuesday night, marking the 30th anniversary of the June 4 incident in Beijing.
The candlelight vigil commemorating the incident is organised annually by the Macau Union for Democratic Development, which was founded shortly after incident in Beijing on June 4, 1989. Lawmakers Au Kam San and Ng Kuok Cheong, board members of the group, attended last night’s candlelight vigil.
Au, who heads the union, said during last night’s event that his group insists on organising the candlelight vigil every year as he “can’t get over it [the incident]”. Au pointed out that the authorities continue to describe the 1989 protesters as “counterrevolutionary rioters”. Au said that about 300 people participated in the candlelight vigil this year, similar to the number of participants in recent years.
Au said that the number of people joining the June 4 annual candlelight vigil in Hong Kong’s Victoria Park represented “a certain kind of strength”, and for Macau, its role in commemorating the June 4 incident was to maintain a consistent presence.
“Macau’s role is to maintain a platform to show that Macau is never absent from [commemorating] the June 4 incident, a historical event which is unfinished business,” Au said, adding that therefore he was not disappointed at the small number of people attending last night’s candlelight vigil.
The vigil, which started at 8 p.m., ended at around 10 p.m. The local police did not release a number attending last night’s vigil participants.(Macaunews)
(Photo courtesy of Macau daily Times)
