China's state censors have scrubbed the internet of references
to commemorations of the Tiananmen crackdown including a huge vigil in
Hong Kong, extending a campaign of repression that has seen dozens of
critics detained.
Organisers said a record 180,000 people filled Hong Kong's Victoria
Park for Wednesday night's gathering, the only major commemoration on
Chinese territory of the 25th anniversary of the events of June 4, 1989.
The assault on pro-democracy protesters in Beijing, during which
hundreds of unarmed civilians - by some estimates, more than 1000 - were
killed, remains highly sensitive in the Communist nation.
It forbids public discussion of the military's brutal suppression of
the demonstrations, and dozens of individuals, among them human rights
campaigners, lawyers and journalists have been detained ahead of the
anniversary.
In mainland China's state-run media there were few references on
Thursday to the events of 1989 and none to the Hong Kong candlelight
vigil which made world headlines, with images of the southern city's
Victoria Park turned into a sea of twinkling lights.
China also hit back at a call from the US for it to account for those
killed, detained or missing in the crackdown, accusing Washington of
blaming its government "for no reason."
Internet censorship was already tightened ahead of the anniversary,
with searches for the date "6.4" and similar terms blocked by Sina
Weibo, a Chinese alternative to Twitter, and on popular search engines.
Under pressure from authorities, Chinese social networks quickly
deleted any perceived references to the crackdown, banning terms
including "Tiananmen", "student movement", "6/4" and "25th anniversary".
Following the vigil, the list of blocked search terms expanded to
include "Victoria Park", "candlelight", and "Teng Biao", the name of a
leading Chinese human rights lawyer who delivered a blistering critique
of Beijing in the park.
Users who attempted to search for any of the blocked terms were
greeted with a message explaining that results were not displayed "in
accordance with relevant laws, regulations and policies".
The White House called for China's government to account for those
killed, detained or missing after the June 1989 assault on pro-democracy
protesters in Beijing, which remains taboo in the Communist nation.
"Vindicate 6/4!" the huge crowds shouted, turning Hong Kong's Victoria Park into a sea of twinkling lights as their candlelit vigil began.
"Vindicate 6/4!" the huge crowds shouted, turning Hong Kong's Victoria Park into a sea of twinkling lights as their candlelit vigil began.
Organisers said a record 180,000 attended the annual vigil, while police put the estimate at 99,500, a significantly higher number than last year's police estimate of 54,000.
Candles were raised and the names of the Tiananmen dead were read out over loudspeakers and people bowed to pay their respects as footage of the clampdown was shown on large screens.
"This event must be instilled in everyone's heart. We can't let time dilute this," said 19-year-old student Anna Lau.
"Let Xi Jinping see the lights of the candles," chief organiser Lee Cheuk-Yan told the crowd, referring to the Chinese president.
"In Hong Kong, we will keep fighting until the end."
Hundreds of unarmed civilians, and by some estimates, more than 1000, were killed in Beijing on June 3-4, 1989, when soldiers on foot and in tanks crushed peaceful student-led protests demanding democratic reforms.
In the Taiwanese capital Taipei, exiled Chinese dissidents and witnesses to the crackdown addressed a crowd of about 500.
Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou released a statement describing the events of 25 years ago as an "enormous historical wound".
He called on Beijing to "speedily redress the wrongs to ensure that such a tragedy will never happen again".
Likewise, the United States said it will continue to "urge the Chinese government to guarantee the universal rights and fundamental freedoms that are the birthright of all Chinese citizens".
Beijing reacted angrily to the White House statement, accusing Washington of a "total disregard of fact".
"It blames the Chinese government for no reason, gravely interferes in China's internal affairs and violates the basic norms guiding international relations," foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said.
In rare political comments, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, issued a statement urging Beijing to embrace democracy as he offered his prayers to the Tiananmen dead.
China has worked hard to erase public memories of the bloodshed, censoring any mention from social networks and detaining scores of activists, lawyers, artists and victims' relatives in recent weeks.
In pictures: Tens of thousands mark Tiananmen anniversary
Tens of thousands of people attend a
candlelight vigil at Victoria Park in Hong Kong to mark the 25th
anniversary of the crackdown in China's Tiananmen Square. 
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