マカオ、天安門事件の写真展開催を認めず　過去３０年間で初

【香港ＡＦＰ＝時事】マカオの民主派団体は12日、毎年恒例の天安門事件をテーマとした写真展の開催を当局が認めなかったと明らかにし、マカオ政府が言論の自由を抑圧していると非難した。開催が許可されなかったのは、過去30年間で初めてだという。（写真はマカオの夜景）
　中国の「一国二制度」の下で高度の自治権を有するマカオでは、民主派団体が１９８９年以来、天安門事件が起きた６月４日に合わせて小規模の平和集会と屋外での写真展を開催してきた。
　写真展の主催者らによると、マカオ市政署が当初は今年の写真展開催を許可していたが、のちに許可を取り消したという。
　民主派団体「デモクラティック・ディベロップメント・ユニオン」は、市政署の決定を「突然のＵターン」だと表現。当局は、公共の場の使用方法について規定した新たな行政規則に言及したという。
　同団体はフェイスブックに抗議文を投稿。「３０年間、われわれはこの写真展を主催し、常に喜んで市政署に協力し指示に従ってきた」とし、「これまでに不快なことは何も起こらなかったし、われわれは政府や住民の迷惑になることは一切してこなかった」と訴えた。
　複数の民主派団体は、当局が政治的議論を抑圧していると非難している。
　「新マカオ協会」は１２日、フェイスブックを通じて、写真展の「禁止は明らかに政治的理由に基づいている」と述べ、「表現の自由を抑圧し、市民社会の空間を最小限に抑えるために行政的手段を利用している」と批判した。
　地元メディアによると、市政署のトップはこの決定が政治的だとの指摘を否定しているという。
　天安門事件の追悼行事は香港でも行われている。マカオの行事よりも規模が大きく、毎回数十万人が参加する。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/05/14-13:05）

Macau has refused permission for an annual photo exhibition of the Tiananmen crackdown for the first time in three decades, activists said Tuesday, accusing the government of stifling free speech.
The semi-autonomous city's dwindling community of democracy supporters have marked the June 4 anniversary of Beijing's bloody crackdown against protesting students since 1989 with a small vigil and an outdoor photo exhibition.
Organisers said permission was initially granted for the exhibition this year by the city's Municipal Affairs Bureau but was later rescinded.
The Democratic Development Union described the decision as a sudden U-turn with authorities citing new administrative rules governing how public spaces can be used.
For 30 years, we've been the organiser of the exhibition and we have always been happy to cooperate with the bureau and follow instructions, the union wrote in an objection letter posted on Facebook.
Nothing unpleasant has happened before and we have not brought any annoyance to the government or residents.
Opposition groups accused authorities of stamping down on political discussion.
The (Bureau's) prohibition is obviously based on political reasons, the New Macau Association, a pro-democracy group, wrote on Facebook on Tuesday.
It is using administrative means to suppress freedom of expression and to minimize the space for the civil society.
Local media said the head of the Municipal Affairs Bureau had denied the decision was political.
Both Macau and neighbouring Hong Kong are former colonies that were granted certain freedoms and autonomy when they returned to communist China's rule.
They are run by local governments staffed with pro-Beijing appointees but remain the only places in China where the Tiananmen crackdown can be safely marked or discussed.
Hundreds -- possibly thousands -- died when Chinese leaders sent tanks and soldiers into the square to quell student-led protests.
On the mainland, any references to the crackdown are purged.
Hong Kong's Tiananmen vigils have attracted hundreds of thousands of people, especially in more recent years as large chunks of the city chafe under Beijing's rule.
It is not clear whether next month's vigil will get permission given emergency anti-coronavirus restrictions currently limiting public gatherings.
Macau's annual vigils are far smaller.
There are only a handful of democracy activists in the gambling hub where there is a less ingrained culture of protest and dissent.