每年六月四日的那一期,  我都會寫一點有關「六四」的感受。去年我在這欄題目為《狂人日記作為預言》中提到有關香港能不能繼續記念六四這問題, 那時我寫道「同樣若今年在澳洲仍有港人談論記念六四,要是這人日後回港, 會否被視為違反了中國國家安全法而被拘留, 相信亦無人能回答。」上週二臉書「小彤群抽會」專頁, 自四月30日開始, 每天刊出一小段鄒幸彤對香港六四集會的體會短文, 導致在獄中的鄒幸彤及另外6人以「在敏感的日子」將到, 於社交媒體上發表「煽動憎恨」北京的帖子而被警方以新實施的《維護國家安全條例》拘捕。

我相信這拘捕事件已對我去年提出的問題,提供了答案。

談論六四是否危害國家安全?這一個問題已經變得不重要了, 這一個問題也不需要在法庭上作出辯論或判決。因為今天香港政府已作出了清晰表示:一.六月四日是一個敏感的日子。二.談論六四是「煽動憎恨」北京。三.在網絡發表這些言論, 就犯了剛通過的《維護國家安全條例》。只要香港特首願意肯定一及二的判斷, 那香港居民在香港或世界上任何地方談論六四及發表觀點, 就是犯了香港的法律。

可以說,不管六四事件是否發生過? 不管六四是否鎮壓無辜的學生? 不管六四是否違反人權公義?不管限制談論六四是否違反基本人權?生活在香港及生於香港而又沒有申請放棄香港居留權的人, 今天發表有關六四這論就是犯了香港法律。當然要是有一天,政策改變了, 中國政府容許公開悼念六四, 或是對六四有了新的評價, 像八十年代中國政府對在文革被視為反革命者有重新評價時, 那時在香港發表有關悼念六四言論, 相信就不再是違法了。

還好, 澳洲政府及聯合國對這條法例, 都明確表示它違反了人權, 因此在這一個專欄寫六四的感受、討論鄒幸彤被捕、批評香港政府引用這法例, 並不會違反澳洲法律。而澳洲也保障言論自由, 並沒有可以起訴個人誹謗政府的法例。

其實就算沒有互聯網, 只要香港或中國不是一個完全封閉的國家, 只要在其中居住的人仍與香港或中國以外的人有交往, 我相信六四都不會被所有人遺忘。在香港出生曾擔任記者的墨爾本大學林慕蓮教授, 曾在2014年出版《失憶人民共和國》一書, 探討在中國居住的人, 如何在國家的政策下,漸漸遺忘六四的故事。(最近林慕蓮教授也出版了一本新書《香港不屈：不能被磨滅的城市》)

我仍有盼望: 只要海外的人不曾忘記, 六四不單存在我們目睹事件發生過這一代人的記憶中, 也會是全世界以後, 不管在香港或是在中國居住的人所繼續認知的歷史, 也不會被忘記。

周偉文 社長

History will not forget

In the edition around this time every year I used to write something about the June 4 incident. Last year in this column titled ‘Diary of a Madman as a Prophecy’ talked about Hong Kong would stop this annual memorial as I asked whether if Hongkonger in Australia who raised this issue would be arrested on returning to Hong Kong. On last Tuesday Tonyee Chow Hang-tung and another six were arrested under the new ‘National Security Law’ for inciting hatred on Beijing by publishing articles on the ‘ChowHangTungClub’ Facebook page since 30^th April close to “sensitive date”.

I think this arrest has offered an answer to my question raised last year.

Is discussing ‘June 4 incident’ a threat to national security? This question is no longer important and does not need to go through court trial anymore. The Hong Kong government has already made it very clear that (a) June 4 is a sensitive date. (b) Discussing this incident is inciting hatred on Beijing and (c) Publishing this discussion on the web is violating the National Security Law. So if the Chief Executive is happy to endorse (a) and (b) then any HongKonger around the world could be arrested for openly discussing about the incident.

That is to say irrespective of whether June 4 incident had actually happened; whether innocent students had been supressed; whether human right had been breached; whether restriction on the discussion had contravened basic human right… so long as people living there and Hongkongers overseas who talk about the incident would be considered as lawbreakers. This could change until one day China’s policy changes where remembrance of the incident is allowed, or when a revaluation of the happening same as in the 80s when critics of the then cultural revolution were given a new turn.

Fortunately, both the Australian government and the UN stated that this new law violates human rights so for this column to talk about the incident, this recent arrest and comment on the Hong Kong government in enforcing this new law would not be illegal here. And in Australia, freedom of speech is protected so nobody would get prosecuted for defaming the government.

Actually even without the internet, so long as Hong Kong and China do not become an enclosed entity and people there can maintain an interaction with the outside world, June 4 would not be forgotten.  Lousia Lim who was a reporter and teaches in University of Melbourne had published her book ‘People’s Republic of Amnesia’ in 2014 telling how people living in China were erased of their knowing of the June 4 incident under the government policy. Very recently she released her new book ‘Indelible City: Dispossession and Defiance in Hong Kong”

I still hope provided people overseas will not forget, this incident will not just stay as the memory of this generation but will be known to and remembered by people of the world including people in Hong Kong and China for the time to come.

Mr. Raymond Chow, Publisher