PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, June 4: Today marks 37 years since the Tiananmen Square massacre and the papers look at how advocates are trying to keep the memory of the victims alive. Albanians continue nationwide protests over a proposed luxury resort on a protected ecosystem in a project backed by Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law. And German director Wim Wenders pulls his 1975 film, "Wrong Move" from circulation due to the presence of a topless child actor.
This Thursday, June 4th, marks 37 years since the Tiananmen Square massacre. The massacre was marked by the brutal repression of hundreds, possibly thousands of unarmed student protesters calling for democratic reforms. As the Guardian notes, the passage of time and concerted efforts by Chinese authorities to suppress memories of the massacre mean that it risks fading into grey. Advocacy groups have endeavoured to protect the legacy of the victims. The China Unofficial Archives, a US-registered non-profit that aims to protect "censored and suppressed Chinese history", the Guardian notes. The group hosts a range of material about the Tiananmen Square protest - a soldier’s diary, a subversive documentary by state-employed filmmakers and most recently, a collection of photographs which shed light on the joy and hope of protesters right before the massacre. One group has been particularly vocal since the massacre – mothers of victims. Safeguard Defenders, Asian human rights NGO published the video of an elderly lady, Mrs. Zhang whose son was shot in the head during the massacre. She is one of the founding members of the Tiananmen Mothers, a group calling on the government to acknowledge the massacre and hold those responsible accountable. This year, the restrictions were particularly harsh – mothers banned from visiting their children’s grave and from holding their annual memorial ceremony. The Taipei Times opinion piece here reminds us that June 4th vigils have been banned since 2020 in Hong Kong. The writer says pays tribute to overseas commemorations of the massacre in cities like Taipei, London and Vancouver. The writer adds: "The migration of these vigils is more than an act of defiance; it is evidence of the forced relocation of public memory."
