Wanting To Bring Home Tiananmen Statue, Danish Sculptor Asks Hong Kong Authority For Immunity

Pillar of Shame di University of Hong Kong. (Wikimedia Commons/PSH851)

JAKARTA - The Danish sculptor who made a statue to commemorate the pro-democracy protesters who died in China's 1989 Tiananmen Square incident has sought immunity from the National Security Act from Hong Kong authorities so he can come and bring the statue back to Denmark. .

Jens Galschiot loaned a two-ton, eight-meter-high copper statue called the "Pillar of Shame" to a local civil society group, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China, in perpetuity.

The statue, which depicts dozens of torn and twisted bodies, has been on display at the University of Hong Kong for more than two decades. After the alliance dissolved in September, with several members accused of national security violations, the university asked the group to remove the statue from its place.

In an open letter on Friday, Galschiot, who spent about $1.4 million to build the statue, said he was willing to bring it back to Denmark. However, his presence is needed in Hong Kong for the uneasy transfer to go well.

Cooperation from universities and city authorities for technical assistance, roadblocks and permits is also required, he said, citing Reuters November 12.

In addition, Galschiot asked for assurances that he would not be prosecuted under the National Security Act, enacted by Beijing in 2020, for punishing what he sees as subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.

"I can understand from the press, the introduction of a new security law in Hong Kong means there is a legal basis for arresting foreign nationals who engage in activities that criticize China," Galschiot wrote.

The removal of the statue "would lead to media activity and coverage that could be construed as criticism of China. Therefore, I must obtain assurances that I and my employees will not be prosecuted."

Meanwhile, neither the university, the government's Security Bureau nor the Department of Immigration immediately responded to requests for comment.

The university gave the Alliance a deadline for the removal of the statue, which ended a month ago. It said at the time it was seeking legal advice on what to do with it.

To note, Democrats and some Western governments say the security law is a tool to silence dissent, pushing Hong Kong firmly onto an authoritarian path. Chinese and city authorities maintain that Hong Kong is still governed by the rule of law and that individual rights and freedoms remain intact.