ANDRIA HALL, CNN ANCHOR: A sea of flickering candles lit up a Hong Kong park today, as demonstrators marked the 11th anniversary of Beijing's military crackdown in Tiananmen Square. CNN's Hong Kong bureau chief Mike Chinoy has more now.</s>MIKE CHINOY, CNN BEIJING BUREAU CHIEF: Its been 11 years, but in Hong Kong they haven't forgotten, tens of thousands of people turning out to remember the victims of Tiananmen Square. "Its important," says this woman, "to let the next generation know what happened in Beijing 1989." This rally has been an annual event in Hong Kong science 1989, when a million people took to the streets here to protest the killing of pro-democracy demonstrators in Beijing. This year, the rituals were the same. But the numbers, although substantial, were significantly lower than last year, a reflection not just of the passage of time but of reduced anxiety since the handover form Britain three years ago about the Chinese government's intentions here. "Hong Kong people do feel there has been some Chinese interference," says this man. Human rights and freedom of expression are still protected. (on camera): In fact, for many Hong Kong people, this event has come to represent not only a tribute to those who died but a reaffirmation of the importance of preserving the civil liberties here that do not exist in mainland China. (voice-over): While the few dissidents in Beijing who sought to mark the anniversary were swiftly detained, there was no official interference with this rally, which many participants hoped would send a message of political freedom to the mainland.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's an indication of our concern and our support to democracy, both in Hong Kong and in China.</s>CHINOY: For now, though, Hong Kong remains the only place on Chinese soil where remembering Tiananmen is not a crime. And with the focus this year on passing the torch to a new generation, organizers hope June 4th will remain a day that will haunt China's authoritarian leaders for years. Mike Chinoy, CNN, Hong Kong.
Hong Kong Marks 11th Anniversary of Crackdown in Tiananmen Square