Speech | 37th Anniversary Vigil for the June Fourth Massacre

Hello everyone, I am Lee Ming-ju, CEO and Attorney-at-Law of the JRF.

This year marks the 37th anniversary of the June Fourth Incident. At the June Fourth vigil two years ago, the Hong Kong government had just arrested the family members and friends of Attorney Chow Hang-tung (鄒幸彤) on suspicion of offenses related to seditious intent, merely because they posted comments on Facebook supporting and commemorating June Fourth.

Over these past two years, Chow Hang-tung has not given up defending herself in the case where she is accused of "inciting others to subvert state power." The court hearing the case has repeatedly postponed the trial date of the Hong Kong Alliance case over the past two years, causing Chow Hang-tung's detention to exceed 1,700 days to date. Such prolonged detention has also been considered by international organizations to undermine the rights of activists such as Chow Hang-tung and Lee Cheuk-yan to a fair trial within the judicial process.

A verdict in this case is scheduled to be delivered next month. Attorney Chow Hang-tung is not only acting as a defendant; she continues to act as an activist. In the message she released before the vigil, she wanted to tell everyone to pay attention to whether the judgment thoroughly examines the defense's arguments, and to demand that the prosecution fully meet its burden of proof, because "this is a trial of Hong Kong's judicial system; it is also a test under the National Security Law era to see how much vitality Hong Kong's rule of law still has left."

This year, on the 37th anniversary of June Fourth, she will conduct a 37-hour hunger strike in prison. She calls on everyone to use their own strength to commemorate, to record, to share the burden, to walk alongside one another, and to be that better and more natural self.

As Taiwanese, what does our "natural and better self" look like? What we can shoulder and the extent to which we can walk alongside others may be very limited. However, especially as a legal organization like the JRF, we see that according to the 2025 World Justice Project research, as many as 57% of countries have regressed in the category of "constraints on government powers," and globally, 61% of countries have experienced a decline in judicial independence and the ability to check the government. When caring about the global trend of a receding rule of law, we cannot fail to see how the infringement on the rule of law in Hong Kong under the reality of the National Security Law will only become increasingly severe. As a country in the region that can still speak out, Taiwan must express its support for human rights workers who are still struggling.

Thank you all for coming to the vigil today. We believe that the movement for democracy and the rule of law is a long marathon. Only through continuous and persistent efforts can we sustain the power of resistance. We hope Taiwan can continue to provide such space and strength, working hard together with our regional partners.