CHINA: BEIJING: POLICE TAKE ACTION TO STOP TIANANMEN COMMEMORATIONS

(4 Jun 1998) English/Nat Today marks the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown and Chinese police are taking measures to prevent commemorations. One human rights group says police have detained nearly two dozen dissidents in recent weeks and warned others to keep a low profile. And in the heart of the vast square today, police quickly pounced on two men who tossed leaflets into the air in an unrelated protest. The government's actions have been more urgent than usual this year as it prepares to host a summit with President Clinton. People in Hong Kong -- back under Chinese rule -- are planning a candlelight vigil to mark the anniversary. There was a military police presence at Tiananmen Square on Thursday when people turned out to mark the ninth anniversary of the bloody military crackdown on pro-democracy protestors. Hundreds were killed in 1989 when troops were sent into the square to stop demonstrations. Every year, Chinese leaders fear that the anniversary will be used to rally opposition to their rule. A summit between the Chinese and U-S presidents in late June and fears of unrest among millions of laid-off state industrial workers have added to their usual concerns. Although there were a few scuffles the square remained peaceful without demonstrations. The massacre of peaceful protestors in 1989 remains a controversial subject in China. Pro-democracy activists have been calling on the Chinese government to hold an inquiry into the massacre - but officials have so far refused to do so. Besides the Chinese police in Tiananmen Square, the other group watching for trouble on Thursday was a number of foreign journalists. But most of the photographers on the Square just wanted to take souvenir photos of their friends and relatives. Chinese tourists gathered in front of the Monument to the People's Heroes - the centre of the 1989 protests. People in Hong Kong are also marking the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre for the first time since Hong Kong was handed over to Chinese rule last July. Hong Kong's Chief Secretary said on Thursday that demonstrations held these days are a sign that there is still no freedom of rights for Chinese people. SOUNDBITE: (English) "The fact that there continues to be demonstrations on all sorts of things and activities to commemorate the June 4 incident simply underlines the fact as we have been at pains to point out and that is that there is no change to the rights and freedoms enjoyed by the Hong Kong people." SUPER CAPTION: Anson Chan, Hong Kong Chief Secretary The people of Hong Kong have been anxious to see how the Chinese police would react to planned demonstrations to commemorate the massacre. At the base of the obelisk in Tiananmen Square, a group from the Communist youth organisation, the Young Pioneers, stood to attention, holding a Chinese flag. But the vigil had nothing to do with the tragic events of 1989 - the Young Pioneers said they were there to promote patriotism. About two dozen dissidents had been rounded up nationwide to prevent demonstrations breaking out on this anniversary of the massacre. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...