Hong Kong's Dwindling Freedoms: Artist Detained Ahead of Tiananmen Anniversary

Hong Kong police detained performance artist Sanmu Chen on the eve of the 35th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown, highlighting shrinking freedoms in the city. The incident occurred in Causeway Bay, near a park traditionally used for vigils. The event underscores the impact of Beijing’s national security law on Hong Kong.

On the eve of the 35th anniversary of China's Tiananmen Square crackdown, Hong Kong police detained performance artist Sanmu Chen, signaling the city's diminishing freedom of expression. Police apprehended Chen in Causeway Bay, a bustling shopping district, near a park that once hosted an annual vigil honoring the 1989 crackdown victims.

Prior to his detention, Chen mimicked drinking in front of a police van and appeared to write or draw in the air. His formal arrest status remains unclear. This incident mirrors last year's events when Chen was detained for urging Hong Kongers not to forget June 4.

The vigil's disappearance under Beijing's 2020 national security law has illustrated the erosion of freedoms once promised to Hong Kong for 50 years post-1997. Pro-democracy activities have markedly declined, with various activists and former vigil organizers, like Chow Hang-tung, facing subversion charges. The current climate has spurred a shift in how commemorative activities are conducted, turning previously vocal celebrations into subdued or even blank expressions.

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