A Hong Kong man who wrote graffiti “6436” on June 4, the 36th anniversary of the Tiananmen crackdown, has been handed a one-year probation order.
Tsang Kin-fung, also known as Philip Tsang, was handed a sentence for his criminal damage conviction at Sha Tin Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday, local media reported.
Tsang, a one-time member of the now-defunct pro-democracy Civic Party, pleaded guilty to the offence earlier this month.
The court heard that on the morning of June 4, police on patrol found the numbers “6436” were spray-painted in black on three spots near the Supreme Industrial Building in Fo Tan.
At a nearby street sign, they found the same graffiti and a candle.
After reviewing CCTV footage, police arrested Tsang at a studio in an industrial building later that night. They seized his phone, the clothes he was believed to have worn during the incident, a yellow mask, and a can of black spray paint.
June 4 this year marked 36 years since Beijing cracked down on student-led protests that had lasted for months. It is estimated that hundreds, perhaps thousands, died when the People’s Liberation Army dispersed protesters in the Chinese capital.
Public commemorations have not been held in Hong Kong in recent years, with the city’s authorities referring to June 4 as a “sensitive date.”
‘Selfish’ behaviour
Delivering the verdict on Thursday, Magistrate Jeffrey Sze rejected Tsang’s statement that he was drunk, saying that was not a valid reason for a lighter sentence.
Sze said that one can still be “a bit clear-headed” when intoxicated, adding that Tsang did not plead guilty at the first instance, which showed his remorse was limited.
Although the magistrate considered that Tsang had acted alone, he said that the defendant’s behaviour could also incite others to engage in actions that damage society.
Sze also acknowledged that Tsang had developed depression due to being the sole caretaker of his elderly mother and hitting a bottleneck in his career as an artist, and that he was seeking treatment for his alcohol addiction.
The magistrate said he believed that a one-year probation order would send a clear message that the court does not condone such “selfish” and “reckless” behaviour.
He also ordered Tsang to take part in psychotherapy and attend rehabilitation courses in accordance with the probation officer’s instructions.
