A blow to core values

FOOD and Environmental Hygiene Department(FEHD) officers and police officersconfiscated two statues of the Goddess ofDemocracy (of two generations) and a relief (titledTTiiaannaannmmaann MMaassssaaccrree) the Hong Kong Alliance in) Support of Democratic Movements in China haddisplayed in Time Square. They said they had done soaccording to the law. This is the first time the SARgovernment has suppressed activities to mark June 4on the pretext of law enforcement since the incidenthappened twenty twenty--one years ago. We would notconjecture as to the SAR government's motive or aim.

Nor would we conjecture whether it did so of its ownaccord or had been compelled to do so. We only wantto point out that it has dealt a blow to an importantelement of Hong Kong people's core values - theirfreedom of expression - as well as to "one country,two systems". It remains to be seen how the affair willunfold. Will the move deter citizens? We believe theywill give those who think themselves in the right astentorian answer at the next vigil to mark June 4(which falls on next Friday (June 4).

The FEHD and the police were apparentlyresponsible for the operation. They said the Alliancehad displayed the statues and the relief in TimeSquare without having first obtained a licence toorganise public entertainment under the Places ofPublic Entertainment Ordinance.

The key word of the ordinance is "entertainment".Activities organised by the Alliance are by no meansentertainment. They are solemn political activities. It isunjustifiable and absurd for the FEHD to have relied onthe ordinance to seize the statues and the relief. Whenit did so, it vilified the pro pro--democracy movement thathappened 21 years ago and slandered those heroicpeople who died in the armed repression.

As matters stand, the government had carefullyplanned the confiscation of the statues and the relief.That day deputy district commander (Wan Chai)Au Au--yeung Chiu Chiu--kong was there to direct the operation.The confiscation was by no means fortuitous. It is clearthat the operation had been meticulously prepared.

The first first--generation version of the Goddess ofDemocracy was displayed in front of the CulturalCentre in Tsim Sha Tsui many times. After somespace in Time Square had again been made open tothe public, the statute was displayed there at leasttwice. The government had not regarded its exhibitionas illegal. This year it has kicked up a fuss. Theordinance it has relied on does not apply to thesituation. The explanations it has offered are toofar far--fetched to sound acceptable. It is baffling that theSAR government has disrupted the Alliance's activitiesto mark June 4 on the pretext of enforcing the law. Theonly explanation is that it has done so for politicalreasons.

Over the past twenty years, the Alliance hasorganised annual commemorations of June 4. HongKong people have been keen on taking part in them.

Hong Kong people's inflexible stance on June 4 is anindicator of their freedom of expression - a vital part oftheir core values. What the SAR government has doneis essentially to deal a blow to Hong Kong people'score values.

In the wake of June 4, many governments andpoliticians in the West used the incident to gain politicaladvantages. Few of them would mention June 4 anymore. Hong Kong is the only Chinese place wherepeople commemorate June 4 anniversaries. Thatshows Hong Kong people are not opportunist opportunist. It is. worth finding out what the SAR government intends toachieve by suddenly disrupting the Alliance's activities.

The incident reminds us that, last year, the SARgovernment unjustifiably prevented BBaaooddiiaaoo SSeeccoonnddfrom travelling to the Diaoyu Island to assert China'ssovereignty over it. That was the first time the SARgovernment had restricted Hong Kong people'sfreedom of movement and infringed on theirfundamental rights on the pretext of law enforcement.For the first time since June 4 happened twenty twenty--oneyears ago, it has disrupted the Alliance's activities tomark the incident. That is certainly its second attemptto curtail Hong Kong people's freedoms. If the SARgovernment refrains even from protecting Hong Kongpeople's fundamental rights and willingly serves as acat's cat's--paw to help erode their fundamental freedoms, itwill certainly be spurned by many of them.

明報社評2010.06.01

港府干擾紀念六四活動 港人核心價值再遭衝擊

支聯會在銅鑼灣時代廣場擺放的兩個世代「民主女神像」和「天安門屠殺浮雕」，被食環署會同警方人員以「依法辦事」為名，強行沒收。這是六四事件21 年以來，港府首次以法治之名，打壓六四紀念活動。我們不猜測港府的動機與目的，也不猜度港府是主動出擊或被迫出手，我們要指出的是，此事是對港人其中一項核心價值——言論自由的衝擊，也是對一國兩制的衝擊。事態如何發展尚待觀察，不過，今次舉措會否嚇倒港人？本周五（ 66 月44 日）晚上紀念六四的燭光晚會，相信港人會給自以為是的人一個響亮的回應。

表面上，涉及這次事件的是食環署和警務處。他們的法律依據是，支聯會在時代廣場展示新民主女神像及天安門屠殺浮雕，卻未有按照《公衆娛樂場所條例》的規定，向食環署領取臨時公衆娛樂場所牌照。

條例最關鍵之處是娛樂，支聯會紀念六四活動，絕非娛樂，而是嚴肅的政治行為。因此，食環署以這條條例沒收女神像和雕塑，不但牽強和荒謬，對於21 年前死於武力鎮壓的民主英烈和整場民主運動，也是極大的貶損和污衊。

從情况看來，港府早已策劃並安排沒收女神像和雕塑，當日灣仔警區副指揮官歐陽照剛更親自在場指揮，整個沒收行動，絕非偶發事件，顯然經過周密策劃和部署。

支聯會的第一代民主女神像，以往在尖沙嘴文化中心廣場擺放多次，在時代廣場回復公共空間之後，民主女神像也在這裏展示至少兩次。以往港府都未視為違法，今年煞有介事地行動，所援引法例卻是那麼不對題、解說理據是那麼牽強，無法使人信服。所以，除了基於政治考慮，實質進行政治打壓以外，無法理解港府為何假借依法辦事之名，行干擾支聯會紀念六四活動之實。過去20 年，支聯會每年都舉辦紀念六四活動，港人積極參與，港人對六四事件的執著，正是香港核心價值之一——言論自由的重要指標。港府今次的舉措，實質上衝擊着這個核心價值。

1989 年六四事件發生時，西方國家和許多外國政客把事件作為政治本錢，撈取政治利益，如今，這些國家、政客都已經不再提及此事了。但是，港人在中國唯一的地方 ——香港，年年紀念六四，說明港人並不投機。今年港府「突然」干擾支聯會的紀念活動，背後蘊含什麼盤算，值得密切關注。

這件事，使我們想起去年港府以「莫須有」罪名，阻撓「保釣二號」出海，前往釣魚島宣示主權，此事乃回歸以來，港府首次以依法辦事為名，限制港人的行動自由，侵蝕港人的基本權利。六四事件21 年之後，港府首次干擾支聯會的紀念六四活動，肯定是衝擊港人自由的另一次嘗試。若港府連港人的基本權利也不捍衛，甘願成為侵蝕港人基本自由的打手，則這樣的特區政府，勢必為許多港人所唾棄。

Glossary

of one's own accord

If you do something of your own accord, youdo it without being asked.

stentorian /sten sten''tt ɔɔ:r :rII ??n/ n/loud and powerful.