HONG KONG – According to a Chinese-language Epoch Times report on January 21, 2005, the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movement in China (HKASPDMC) held a candlelight vigil Friday in Victoria Park for deposed former Chinese Communist Party (CCP) leader Zhao Ziyang. Zhao died Monday after 15 years of house arrest for sympathizing with the students in the Tiananmen Square democracy movement. HKASPDMC estimated 15,000 mourners turned out for the activity, but police spokesman Trish Leung said the number of participants was around 10,000.

The candlelight vigil started at 8 PM. Chairman of HKASPDMC, Szeto Wah, made a memorial speech. Mourners bowed three times toward a portrait of Zhao in keeping with Chinese tradition and observed a minute of silence. A makeshift tribute area for Zhao Ziyang was inundated with wreaths.

The official media of the CCP gave scant coverage of the news. Police exerted tight surveillance on mourners as they queued in Zhao's Beijing home to pay their last respects.

Although, the CCP defended the Tiananmen Square crackdown and its decision to oust Zhao on charges of "splitting the party," it has agreed to hold a memorial for Zhao at the Babaoshan Martyr’s Cemetery.