CV NEWS FEED // A group of Chinese Evangelical Christians has launched a prayer initiative to honor the victims of the June 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, despite efforts from the government to silence those who commemorate the event.
The Tiananmen Square Massacre was the violent suppression of unprecedented pro-democracy protests by the Chinese government in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on June 3-4, 1989. To suppress the protests demanding political reform, freedom of speech, and greater civil liberties, the Chinese military used live ammunition, resulting in a large number of casualties.
The Chinese government has never provided an official death toll and has suppressed any discussion or commemoration of the events.
AsiaNews reported that traditionally, the June 4 massacre was commemorated by a vigil in Victoria Park in Hong Kong, but that Chinese authorities sent attendees to jail in 2019 and began to impose restrictions on the vigil in 2020.
The Washington Post reported that in 2023, supporters of the Chinese government held a three-day-long fair in Victoria Park from June 3 to 5, complete with games, musical performances, and carnival stalls, making it impossible for anyone to commemorate the massacre. According to AsiaNews, the fair is set to occur once again this year.
“In this context, an initiative launched by a group of evangelical Christians in Hong Kong becomes very significant, as they try a different way to break the silence imposed by the authorities,” AsiaNews added.
2024 marks the 35th anniversary of the massacre. To commemorate it, the Christians posted a prayer online and called for supporters to sign their names.
According to AsiaNews, the goal is to turn the prayer and the signatures into a paid ad to put in the Christian Times, which is Hong Kong’s evangelical weekly.
Supporters were able to sign their names until May 19, and the final count was 384 signatures.
The prayer is based on Psalm 137:1, which reads: “By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion.”
“Even though no stars or candles will be lit tonight, let us light a candle in the depths of our soul in the light of God’s miraculous grace,” the prayer reads, according to AsiaNews. “Let us carry on their unfinished work in light and prayer. Lord, let them not be forgotten.”
