中国・天安門事件３５年 台湾の頼総統「記憶は消えず」

【台北ＡＦＰ＝時事】中国・北京の天安門広場で学生らの民主化要求運動が当局に武力で弾圧されてから３５年となる４日、台湾の新総統に就任した頼清徳氏は、天安門事件の記憶は「歴史の奔流の中で消えることはない」との考えを示した。（写真は、１９８９年の天安門事件当日、中国・北京の天安門広場付近で軍と衝突した暴徒が火を付けた装甲兵員輸送車を確認する人々）
　１９８９年６月４日、北京の天安門広場で民主化を求め、平和的な抗議活動を行っていた学生らに対し、当局は戦車を投入して強制的に鎮圧。殺害されたデモ参加者は少なくとも１０００人以上とされ、国内では今なお、天安門事件に関するいかなる言及も検閲の対象となっている。
　台湾の台北では毎年、追悼集会が開かれる。
　頼氏はフェイスブックで、「私たちは、この歴史の記憶をとどめ、中国の民主化に関心を抱くすべての人に影響を与えられるよう一層努める」と表明。
　「（天安門事件は）民主主義と自由が簡単には手に入らないことを思い知らせてくれる。私たちは、自由によって独裁政治に対応し、勇気をもって権威主義の拡大に立ち向かわなければならない」と強調した。
　中国は頼氏を、台湾に「戦争と衰退」をもたらす「危険な分離主義者」と非難し、５月の総統就任直後には台湾周辺で軍事訓練を実施した。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2024/06/04-20:02）

Taiwan's new President Lai Ching-te said Tuesday that the memory of Beijing's deadly crackdown at Tiananmen Square will not disappear in the torrent of history, in a post marking the event's 35th anniversary.
Chinese troops and tanks forcibly dispersed peaceful protests in Beijing's Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989, quelling huge, weeks-long demonstrations demanding greater political freedoms. Decades on, China still censors any mention of the crackdown.
Since he was sworn in as president, China has repeatedly lashed out against Lai, branding him a dangerous separatist and a saboteur of peace and stability.
His inauguration in May prompted Beijing to launch military drills around Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory.
We will continue to work hard to keep this historical memory alive and touch everyone who cares about Chinese democracy, Lai said in a Facebook post.
Because this reminds us that democracy and freedom are not easy to come by, we must... respond to autocracy with freedom, face the expansion of authoritarianism with courage.
Taiwan is scheduled to hold an annual vigil to mark Tiananmen at 6:40 pm (1040 GMT) at Taipei's Chiang Kai-shek memorial hall.
Lai's Democratic Progressive Party has long defended the sovereignty and democracy of Taiwan, which has its own government, military and currency.
In his Facebook post Tuesday, Lai said that a truly respectable country is one where people speak out.
Any regime should face up to the voice of the people... because social change often depends on diverse opinions, he said.
In the future, we will continue to unite all forces to deepen democracy in Taiwan, and work with like-minded countries to build a better world.
- Tourists at Tiananmen -
China's Tiananmen crackdown killed hundreds of people, with some estimating the death toll was higher than a thousand.
Beijing described the events as riots, while rights groups and exiled dissidents depict it as a massacre of innocent people, including many students.
Many young people today in China are unaware of the 1989 events due to the wide-reaching censorship.
Asked about the anniversary on Monday, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said the government has long since reached a clear conclusion with regards to the political turmoil that occurred in the late 1980s.
In Beijing early Tuesday, tourist groups visited Tiananmen Square donning matching neon hats and posing for pictures beside the mausoleum of China's founding leader Mao Zedong.
The police presence was no heavier than usual at the square, with officers posted at every corner, some directing traffic while others observed passers-by through binoculars.
Australia's foreign minister Penny Wong said the international community remembers the tragic events and loss of life on 4 June 1989.
As we have consistently said, Australia remains concerned about ongoing restrictions on freedom of association, expression and political participation in China, she said in a statement Tuesday.
- Detentions -
Activist groups from London to Washington are planning events to commemorate the crackdown.
But in Hong Kong, once the sole place on Chinese soil where public commemoration was allowed, an annual vigil has been banned since 2020, the year that Beijing imposed a national security law to quell dissent.
The city's Victoria Park, which prior to the ban drew tens of thousands each year, was on Tuesday the site of a carnival promoting food and culture of Chinese cities.
Local media has said hundreds of police officers are expected to descend around the area by nightfall.
On Monday, Hong Kong artist Sanmu Chen was briefly detained after he appeared to trace the Chinese characters for 8964 -- representing the anniversary's date -- in the air. Police said he was later released.
In the week leading up to the anniversary, Hong Kong police arrested eight people over commemorating the Tiananmen crackdown on social media, with authorities accusing them of publishing seditious online posts.
When asked about whether any public remembrance of June 4 was permitted, Hong Kong leader John Lee said Tuesday that some people are hijacking the issue... as a pretext to stir up troubles.
The threat to national security is real... any activities that contravene the law, law enforcement agencies will take action accordingly, Lee warned.
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