HONG KONG – A solemn ceremony was held at the martyrs’ memorial park in Sai Kung’s Tsam Chuk Wan on Saturday to commemorate the guerillas who resisted Japanese aggression during the Second World War.
Organized by the Society of Veterans of the original Hong Kong Independent Battalion of the Dong Jiang Column and sponsored by the Sai Kung District Office, the event brought together surviving veterans, government officials, and community members to honor wartime heroes.
The tribute came in the lead-up to Victory Day of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression on Sept 3, which also marks the 80th anniversary of the victory against Japanese aggression and fascism this year.
The ceremony began at 10 am, attended by representatives of the central and Hong Kong Special Administrative Region governments, the legislative and district councils, and social organizations.
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Wreaths were laid at the memorial monument in honor of the fallen soldiers of the Hong Kong-Kowloon Independent Battalion -- a sub-unit of the Dongjiang Column led by the Communist Party of China and comprising mainly Hong Kong residents.
The battalion remains the only organized force that continued resisting after Hong Kong fell to Japanese invaders on Dec 25, 1941, following the collapse of British army defenses in 18 days.
Under the CPC’s leadership, the Dongjiang Column mobilized local farmers, students and shopkeepers to form the Hong Kong Independent Battalion in 1942.
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The battalion executed secret missions to rescue over 800 Chinese cultural figures stranded in then-occupied Hong Kong, and some allied soldiers under attack, while collecting military intelligence for the Chinese army and allies.
Operating from hidden bases in various places, including Sai Kung and other parts the New Territories, they doggedly carried out ambushes and sabotage operations against the invaders.
Contact the writer at lilei@chinadailyhk.com
