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DE RUEHHK #2311/01 1561023
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O 051023Z JUN 06
FM AMCONSUL HONG KONG
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7060
INFO RUEHOO/CHINA POSTS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 O 02 HONG KONG 002311 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EP AND EAP/CM 
NSC FOR DENNIS WILDER 
 
E.O. 12958:DECL: 06/05/2031 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV PREL PINR HK
SUBJECT: JUNE 4 CANDLELIGHT VIGIL IN HONG KNG 
 
REF: JUNE 4 ZAISER-GOLDBERG EMAIL 
 
Classifed By: E/P Section Chief Simon Schuchat; Reasons 14 (b, d) 
 
 ¶1. (C) Summary:  According to ong Kong's "Alliance in 
Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China," their 
annual candlelight vigil to commemorate the anniversary of 
the June 4, 1989 military suppression in Beijing's Tiananmen 
Square drew a crowd of 44,000 on Sunday evening, slightly 
short of last year's attendance of 45,000.  Alliance 
organizers and other Hong Kong-based democracy activists, 
including Han Dongfang, Robin Munro, and Lee Cheuk-yan, 
expressed delight at the turnout and noted the importance of 
continuing to mark this anniversary.  Veteran democracy 
activist and Alliance Chairman Szeto Wah addressed the vigil, 
followed by broadcasts of recorded messages from the 
Tiananmen Mothers organization and Tiananmen Square leader 
Wang Dan.  Earlier on June 4, Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen 
led a prayer session during which he called on the Beijing 
government to "return a fair judgment" to those who had 
sacrificed their lives in the incident.  Meanwhile, Hong Kong 
Chief Executive Donald Tsang, traveling with a business 
delegation in southern China, opined publicly that during the 
seventeen years since June 4, 1989, the economic growth in 
the mainland had "brought prosperity and economic benefits to 
Hong Kong" and the intervening time allowed the Hong Kong 
people "to reflect on the incident in an objective 
perspective."  Tsang also denied press reports that he had 
attended a May 1989 pro-democracy concert in Hong Kong, just 
a few days prior to the June 4 crackdown.  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (C) On June 4, Hong Kong's "Alliance in Support of 
Patriotic Democratic Movements in China" organized their 
annual candlelight vigil to commemorate the anniversary of 
the June 4, 1989 military suppression of pro-democracy 
demonstrators in Beijing's Tiananmen Square.  As such 
ceremonies are banned in the PRC, the Hong Kong event is the 
only large-scale activity held to mark this anniversary. 
According to press reports and the vigil's organizers, the 
90-minute rally drew a crowd of 44,000, which despite 
forecasts of rainy weather was nearly equal to last year's 
attendance of 45,000.  Alliance Vice Chair and Legco member 
Lee Cheuk-yan told the media that he was "delighted" with the 
turnout.  Also attending the event, independent democratic 
Legislative Council member "Longhair" Leung Kwok-hung told 
poloff that he was quite happy and impressed with the turnout. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Veteran democracy activist and Alliance Chairman 
Szeto Wah addressed the vigil, followed by broadcast of 
recorded messages from the "Tiananmen Mothers" organization 
and Tiananmen Square leader Wang Dan.  This year, in addition 
to the past themes of "release imprisoned dissidents," 
"reverse the unjust verdict of June 4," "end one-party rule," 
and "build a more democratic China," the speakers added a new 
topic: "support the civil rights campaign in mainland China." 
 Numerous organizations, including the "Hong Kong Human 
Rights Monitor," "Project Civil Referendum," "The Frontier," 
"Human Rights in China," the "Civil Human Rights Front," and 
"Falun Gong" participated in the event.  The crowd included 
many elderly as well as young people, with numerous families 
with children attending as well. 
 
Cardinal Zen Comments 
--------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) Hong Kong Cardinal Joseph Zen led a prayer session 
attended by about 120 people prior to the vigil, during which 
he called on the Beijing government to "return a fair 
judgment" to those who had sacrificed their lives in the 
incident.  Also on June 4, Zen, in an interview with the "New 
York Times," asked rhetorically "if they (the PRC Government) 
had listened to the kind advice of the students and workers, 
would today's country be a better country?"  Zen did not 
attend the candlelight vigil. 
 
Han Dongfang: "We Must Not Forget" 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (C) On June 5, "China Labour Bulletin" Director Han 
Dongfang, who was imprisoned on counter-revolutionary charges 
in the PRC following the June 1989 Tiananmen military 
crackdown, told poloff that continuation of the annual 
candlelight vigil in Hong Kong was very useful and extremely 
important; otherwise, there would be no pressure at all on 
the PRC government.  He believed that "morally, we must not 
forget these important historical incidents."  Han said that 
while he did not focus on the number of participants in the 
annual vigil, he nevertheless had been "surprised" at the 
previous day's heavy turnout.  Han's colleague, Robin Munro, 
 
HONG KONG 00002311  002 OF 002 
 
 
told poloff that the turnout was "quite impressive" for a 
17-year anniversary, and opined that the 20-year 
commemoration in 2009 would bring a much larger number of 
participants. 
 
Press Coverage 
-------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) The Hong Kong media gave the event prominent text 
and pictorial coverage.  In a June 5 editorial, the 
independent "Hong Kong Economic Journal" expressed confidence 
that the verdict on the June 4 incident eventually would be 
reversed.  The pro-democracy "Apple Daily" said the 
candlelight vigil demonstrated the continuing opposition of 
the Hong Kong people to the 1989 crackdown in Beijing.  The 
independent "Ming Pao" called on the Beijing government to 
adopt a humanitarian approach and to offer compensation to 
the people who were killed, injured, or arrested, as a means 
to achieve social harmony.  The pro-Beijing "Ta Kung Pao" and 
"Hong Kong Commercial Daily" did not cover the event, while 
the pro-Beijing "Wen Wei Po" focused on the "unenthusiastic 
response" of the Hong Kong people and the "overstated" 
turnout claims made by the vigil's organizers. 
 
Where Was Donald? 
----------------- 
 
¶7. (C) Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang, leading an 
80-member delegation of business leaders, departed from Hong 
Kong on June 2 for a visit to Guangxi and Yunnan Provinces. 
Speaking to the press in Kunming on June 4, Tsang said that 
in the seventeen years since June 4, 1989, the economic 
growth in the mainland had "brought prosperity and economic 
benefits to Hong Kong."  That time also allowed the Hong Kong 
people "to reflect on the incident in an objective 
perspective."  On June 5, Tsang denied press reports, quoting 
Szeto Wah, that he had attended a May 27, 1989 pro-democracy 
concert in Hong Kong, just a few days prior to the June 4 
crackdown.  Tsang said that he happened to be dining in the 
vicinity of the concert on that evening, but had not attended 
the event.  At that time, Tsang was a director of 
administration in the Hong Kong colonial government and was 
barred from joining political activities. 
 
CUNNINGHAM 
Cunningham