Massive Tiananmen vigil expected in divided Hong Kong

The US has called for 'an official accounting of the victims' of the 1989 crackdown, as well as the release from prison of those serving Tiananmen-related sentences

Tens of thousands of people are to join a candlelit vigil in Hong Kong today to mark the 26th anniversary of China's Tiananmen Square crackdown, with the city deeply divided ahead of a vote on how to choose its next leader.

Hong Kong is the only location on Chinese soil to see a major commemoration, with residents gathering in Victoria Park to mark the military's brutal crushing of pro-democracy protests in central Beijing in 1989.

Hundreds -- by some estimates more than a thousand -- died after the Communist Party sent tanks to crush demonstrations at the square in the heart of Beijing, where student-led protesters had staged a peaceful seven-week sit-in to demand democratic reforms.

"This is an ongoing struggle for justice," said Richard Tsoi of the Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, which organises the Hong Kong vigil.

The US called for "an official accounting of the victims" of the 1989 crackdown, as well as the release from prison of those serving Tiananmen-related sentences.

The State Department also urged a halt to the harassment and detention of those who want to commemorate the anniversary.

"The United States urges the Chinese government to uphold its international commitments to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms," spokesman John Kirby said in a statement.

Taiwan's president Ma Ying-jeou called for China to "redress the wrongs" of June 4.

US-based group Chinese Human Rights Defenders said state security had detained dozens of activists in the Chinese provinces of Shaanxi and Hunan ahead of this year's anniversary.

Zhang Xianling, 77, whose then 19-year-old son was killed during the crackdown, said she visited his grave site Thursday, where dozens of plainclothes security staff stood watching.

More than seven security officers remain near her apartment, with two guarding her door, she told AFP.

"Their main purpose is to stop me receiving interviews... and visiting areas deemed sensitive, such as Tiananmen Square," she said.