Friday December 24th 2021
“Goddess of Democracy”
Hong Kong: More universities remove monuments
After Hong Kong University removed the Tian’anmen memorial from its campus, two other universities are having their memorials dismantled, including the “goddess of democracy”. It stands for academic freedom. Many therefore now worry about the once open school policy.
Two other universities in Hong Kong have removed memorials to commemorate the 1989 Tian’anmen protests in Beijing. A statement from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) said the unauthorized statue had been removed: “After an internal assessment and as the administrator of the university campus, the CUHK removed the statue.” The 6.4-meter-high bronze statue of the “Goddess of Democracy”, which holds up a flame, was removed from the Chinese University in Hong Kong just before sunrise.
“I’m heartbroken and shocked,” said Felix Chow, a former CUHK student and a member of the district council. “This statue represents an open school environment. It is a symbol of academic freedom. People doubt whether the school can still ensure that the space is free and that people can speak freely,” he said.
Lingnan University in Hong Kong removed a wall relief from the Tian’anmen massacre that also contained a representation of the “goddess of democracy”. The university stated that items that could pose “legal and security risks” had been cleared or removed and appropriately stored.
The monuments are reminiscent of the democracy protests of 1989
A red picture of the “goddess of democracy” in the main hall of the student union at Lingnan University had also been painted over with gray paint. Artist Chen Weiming, who created both the statue and the mural, said he would sue the universities if his works were damaged.
On Thursday night, authorities removed a statue to commemorate the victims in Beijing’s Tian’anmen Square. The so-called “Pillar of Shame” was a reminder of the violent crackdown on the democracy protests in Beijing in 1989. The work of art was installed in 1997 on the grounds of Hong Kong University. Unlike mainland China, where authorities have banned all June 4th memorial services, Hong Kong has been the only place on Chinese soil to date where such memorial services have been allowed.