Hong Kong (Associated Press)-Universities in Hong Kong are demolishing the monument to the bloody suppression of the Chinese pro-democracy movement in 1989, centered on Tiananmen Square in Beijing.
On Christmas Eve, the Chinese University of Hong Kong took down the “Goddess of Democracy”, a statue created by art students and was taken to the square shortly before the crackdown. The crackdown caused hundreds or even thousands of lives. .
The demolition of the monument is a testament to the efforts of the ruling Communist Party to wipe the bloody incident from public consciousness. At the same time, the CCP stifled Hong Kong’s democratic challenge to its rule.
On December 23, a monument at the University of Hong Kong was demolished, and one of the city’s only remaining public memorials of the repression was razed to the ground.
The government has never provided casualty figures, and the pro-democracy movement is still a taboo topic in mainland China. The two semi-autonomous territories of Hong Kong and Macau are the only places on Chinese soil that allow commemorative suppression activities until the authorities ban the annual candlelight vigil for two consecutive years.
The Chinese University confirmed the removal of the statue in a statement and stated that it has never authorized its display, nor has any organization claimed responsibility for its maintenance and management.
In addition, Lingnan University demolished a bas-relief memorial wall to commemorate the June 4th movement.
According to a report by the government-run Radio Television Hong Kong, the university’s decision was based on “comprehensive protection of the university community after a recent assessment”.
