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Thousands attend Tiananmen vigil

The crowds gathered in Victoria Park around a replica of the Goddess of Democracy, a statue built by the students during the 1989 protests.

They were addressed by exiled student leader Wang Dan. "They will never cut off our voices," he told them in a telephone link up.

"What happened in 1989 is a realisation that the Chinese people have been fighting for freedom for a long time."

Refused entry

Mr Wang, who spoke from his home in New York, had been refused permission by the Hong Kong authorities to enter the territory.

However, reports said he was expected to attend a commemoration seminar on Saturday in the nearby Portuguese enclave of Macau which will be handed back to China in December.

Organisers of the Hong Kong demonstration said the unexpectedly high turnout proved the anniversary had brought a new emphasis to remembering those who died in the 4 June killings.

"Seeing so many people here, I know they have not forgotten," said Hong Kong legislator and pro-democracy campaigner Martin Lee.

"As long as Hong Kong can keep pushing for democracy, it will have a good influence on China."

Many of those attending the demonstration say they see the occasion as vital to the preservation of Hong Kong's freedom of speech.

Since its return to China two years ago, the territory has been the only part of China where public commemorations of the sensitive anniversary have been allowed to take place.

Beijing crackdown

The Chinese Government has acknowledged that more than 200 people died when tanks rolled into the square 10 years ago to end the protests. Other estimates say many more were killed as Chinese troops opened fire on the demonstrators.

In Beijing, two demonstrators were arrested after breaching security cordons in Tiananmen Square. One man opened an umbrella covered with pro-democracy slogans, and another scattered leaflets before being overpowered.

Tight security was in place around the square and much of the area was closed off for repaving behind green metal hoarding.

Reports said police also briefly detained three dissidents in Xian in northern China after breaking up a small commemoration at a private house.

In the run up to the anniversary, a number of activists were detained and extra police were reported to be on alert as the authorities sought to prevent any commemorations of those who died.

Other dissidents, along with outspoken family members of those killed 10 years ago, said they had been put under round-the-clock surveillance.

Broadcasts of the US cable news station CNN were cut off in hotels and many residential buildings in Beijing.

On Thursday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman brushed aside questions about the events of 4 June 1989.

He reiterated the government's position that its operation to crush the protest was necessary to maintain stability and laid the ground for a decade of economic growth.

Righting wrongs

Marking the 10th anniversary of the crackdown, the United States has called on Beijing to "right the wrongs" committed in Tiananmen Square .

"US-China relations will not reach their full potential until China brings its human rights practices into compliance with its obligations under international human rights instruments," said State Department spokesman James Rubin.

But despite China's renewed clampdown on dissidents, President Clinton told Congress on Thursday that he wanted to renew China's trade privileges for another year, saying trade was a force for change in China.

The issue is expected to spark a stormy debate over the future of US relations with China, following allegations of Chinese spying and growing concerns about human rights abuses.

Relevant Stories

Picture gallery: Tiananmen 10 years on (04 Jun 99 | Asia-Pacific)
Where are they now? (02 Jun 99 | Tiananmen Square)
Tiananmen: The birth of economic revolution (02 Jun 99 | Tiananmen Square)
Dissidence then and now (02 Jun 99 | From Our Own Correspondent)
Tiananmen revisited (29 Jun 98 | From Our Own Correspondent)

Internet Links

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Free China Movement
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights in China

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