Jessie Pang and Edmond Ng

HONG KONG (Reuters] – The Hong Kong University has taken down a monument that commemorated the victims of China’s Tiananmen Square crackdown on 1989.

This artwork of anguished human bodies is one of few public monuments left in former British colonies to commemorate the brutal crackdown in China. It is also a taboo subject in mainland China.

The statue, also known as “The Pillar of Shame”, was an emblem of the many-ranging freedoms offered to Hong Kong by China in 1997. It helped distinguish the international financial hub from China’s other counterparts.

To commemorate Tiananmen Square’s crackdown, the city holds the biggest annual vigils worldwide.

HKU’s Council of University of Hong Kong stated in an early Thursday release that the University made the decision to get rid of the statue “based on outside legal advice and risk assessments for the University’s best interests”.

It stated that “The HKU Council requested that the statue is placed in storage and that the University continue to seek legal counsel on any follow-up action.”

On Wednesday night security personnel placed yellow barriers around the sculpture, which is eight metres high (26 feet) tall and weighs two tonnes.

Two Reuters reporters saw scores of workers in yellow hard hats entering the site. It was covered on all sides with white plastic sheeting, and was being defended by dozens security officers.

The closed-off area was filled with loud noises coming from chains and power tools for many hours, before workers were seen lifting the top of the statue onto a crane and moving it towards a shipping container.

Later, a truck drove the container off-road early Thursday morning. The statue’s site was then covered with white plastic sheets, and the area was surrounded by yellow barricades. The barricades were later surrounded by pots of Poinsettia flowers from the University.

“MEMORY WRITEN WITH BLOOD.”

A few months prior, the university wrote a legal notice to the custodians. They were the group that organized the annual June 4 vigils. The letter asked for the removal of the statue.

Police raided a museum on June 4, and closed it. The online version of the museum cannot be accessed from Hong Kong.

Jens Galschiot (Danish sculptor) said that the statue was created by him and that he is “totally stunned” at it. He also stated in a statement that he will “claim damages to any of his property.”

Galschiot valued the statue at $1.4million. However, he said that he was unable to return it to Denmark because of his presence in Hong Kong. He also asked for assurances that a prosecution would not follow.

HKU claimed in its statement, that no one had ever been granted permission to place the statue on their campus. However, it stated that any party could take the “appropriate action” at anytime. The HKU also described the statue as “fragile” and stated that it could pose safety risks.

Wang Dan (survivor of Tiananmen) who lives now in the United States condemned the deletion in a post on Facebook (NASDAQ.:). He called it “an attempt at wiping out history and writings with blood”.

Students were on vacation, so the campus was quite quiet on Thursday morning. After hearing about the announcement, some students visited the campus over night.

Chan, 19, a student from China said: “The university is cowardly to do these at midnight.” It’s a historical symbol and I feel extremely disappointed.

Leung was another student who said he felt “heartbroken” when he saw the statue being cut in pieces.

TIANANMEN EXPOSED

This is the most recent step in targeting individuals or organizations associated with sensitive dates and events on June 4, 1989.

Hong Kong’s authorities are imposing a China-imposed security law on Hong Kong that is believed to be used to oppress civil society, imprison democracy activists and limit basic freedoms.

After massive protests on the streets in 2019, authorities claim that law has brought order and stability to the area. The authorities insist on the protection of freedoms and rights and say that charges are not political.

China never gave a complete account of 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Although officials gave an approximate death toll of 300 people, rights groups and witnesses suggest that thousands more were killed.

The Communist Party is asking us all to forget this issue (Tiananmen) John Burns was a university political scientist for 40+ years and had called for it to be kept.

They would prefer it to be forgotten globally.”