Tens of thousands have gathered in Hong Kong for the only major commemoration in China of the 25th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing.
In Beijing, Chinese security personnel were deployed to prevent any commemoration of the brutal repression of student protests in Tiananmen Square. But in Hong Kong a crowd estimated at up to 180,000 joined the Tiananmen remembrance rally, which has been held every year since the massacre.
A huge crowd gathered in Hong Kong for a candlelit vigil to commemorate the anniversary. Photo: AFP
Under the "One Country, Two Systems" policy introduced when Hong Kong ceased to be a British colony in 1997, the city retains civil liberties not seen in mainland China.
With the lights turned out, people raised candles in the dark as the names of those who died in Beijing on 4 June 1989 were read over loudspeakers.
At Tiananmen Square on Wednesday, foreign journalists were ushered away from the area, while passers-by were searched and had their papers checked. In recent weeks, authorities have detained dozens of activists to ensure their silence.
Internet search terms related to the 1989 massacre and the pro-democracy protests have been blocked and access on Google has reportedly been restricted, the BBC reports.
The 1989 protests were the biggest rally against Communist rule since the People's Republic was founded forty years earlier.
Hundreds of thousands called for democratic reforms in a peaceful demonstration largely focused on a gathering in Tiananmen Square. After weeks of protests, authorities responded on 4 June 1989 with a massacre of hundreds in the streets.
Analysts say repression for the 25th anniversary of the protests is much more intense than in previous years.
At least 20 prominent academics, lawyers and activists to have been detained, according to the US-based group Human Rights in China.
The Foreign Correspondents Club of China issued a statement condemning increasing harassment and intimidation of overseas media.
At the time, the Chinese government characterised the protests as counter-revolutionary riots and Beijing still does not acknowledge the event with any kind of memorial.
In Taiwan, activist groups also marked the anniversary by erecting a huge image of Tiananmen Square during the crackdown.
The Taiwanese and Japanese governments have urged Beijing to use the memory of the protests to improve its attitude to human rights.
Chinese workers filling the streets of Beijing to support the students' pro-democracy movement in May 1989. Photo: AFP FILE
Replica tanks are being displayed in Hong Kong to mark the anniversary. Photo: AFP
