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For the rest of the citizens, however, it is a time of restrictions. Security is so tight in Beijing that residents living along the route of the parade were warned against standing on their balconies or opening their windows during the parade.
According to Chinese media around the country, lots of other things have been banned, including large gatherings in cities other than Beijing, watching foreign television channels, and even getting divorced.
Moreover, the media is forbidden to report or follow up on bad news – like at least two random killings that took place in the streets near Tiananmen Square and an explosion that blew up a Uighur restaurant, all in the past two weeks and despite the presence of thousands of troops and police in the city – in order not to disturb the joyful atmosphere of the celebrations.
However, things are different in Hong Kong, which still enjoys freedom of speech 12 years after returning to Chinese rule, thanks to a deal made with the British when they handed over the territory that promised 50 years of protection for civil society.
In Hong Kong there will be a grand fireworks display over Victoria Harbor, highlighting patriotic themes, accessible to anyone who can find a spot to watch – unlike Beijing, where tickets have been handed out and access is restricted. But there will also be many other events of a different nature taking place on this public holiday in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is one place under Chinese sovereignty where people can freely and publicly discuss national developments and debate issues related to press freedom, human rights and the one-party dictatorship.
A group of Falun Gong practitioners organized a protest march in the morning from North Point to the central government’s Liaison Office. They are members of a spiritual group that is banned and severely persecuted in mainland China, where adherents are known to have been jailed and tortured, even killed. In Hong Kong they are known by their yellow shirts and ability to sit or stand perfectly still while meditating in parks or other public places.
At noon, members of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China began a 60-hour hunger strike in Times Square to draw attention to human rights abuses in China. The alliance also led a march to the Liaison Office, asking supporters to dress in black to symbolize the dark situation of human rights in China, and to provide a contrast to the bright red flags put up by the Hong Kong administration.
In the evening a coalition of civil groups planned a candlelight vigil to underscore the absence of human rights protections and democratic practices in the mainland.
The Democratic Party of Hong Kong held a seminar Saturday, inviting political figures, academics, legal experts and others to reflect on China’s political, economic and social developments over the past 60 years. Topics included poverty, agricultural reforms, the people’s welfare, problems in the financial system and relations with Taiwan.
Wei Jingsheng and Wang Dan, well-known democracy activists now living in exile overseas, addressed participants through taped speeches. Wei was arrested in 1979 for his writings on democracy, and spent 18 years in prison before international pressure obtained his release to the United States in 1997. Wang was a leader in the democracy movement of 1989 that culminated in the crackdown on protesters in Tiananmen Square.
Wei criticized China for claiming that it aspires to a “peaceful rise” in the international community. “There is no peace inside China, so how would it be possible to accomplish a so-called ‘peaceful rise’?” he questioned.
Wang said that 80 million Chinese had died in political campaigns orchestrated by the Chinese Communist Party since it took power 60 years ago. He blamed the CCP for failing to apologize for these lives lost in the name of political struggle.
During the military parade in Beijing, a banner was raised with the words, “The Chinese people have stood up” lifted high above the crowd. The words have often been attributed to Chairman Mao Zedong on the day the People’s Republic of China was founded, but analysts now claim he did not actually pronounce that phrase on the rostrum at Tiananmen Square.
Human rights groups in Hong Kong had their own version of the famous phrase, erecting a banner asking, “Have the Chinese people stood up for their human rights in the past 60 years?”
Szeto Wah, chairman of the Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, pointed out that the Beijing government’s tight security measures – including bugging city taxis, occupying all hotel rooms around Tiananmen Square, and allowing only ticket holders to view the National Day parade – indicated that its hold on power was unstable. That was why the government is so afraid of the people, he said.
The Hong Kong Journalists Association issued a declaration signed by 1,350 journalists, university faculty and students and published in four major newspapers, requesting the Chinese authorities to ensure press freedom on the mainland, and to clarify the truth regarding the arrest and beatings of Hong Kong reporters while covering events in mainland China.
Despite China’s efforts to “educate” the people in patriotism, and its inducements to convince Hong Kong that it is “an economic city,” many citizens are serious about protecting and expanding their democratic rights. Returning to China’s sovereignty, and watching events unfold on the neighboring mainland, has perhaps made them even more aware that a good economy alone does not guarantee a happy and harmonious society.
