The disappearance of the books and the loss of the annual June 4 candlelight vigil in Victoria Park, combined with the cityโs changed political environment, had contributed to turning commemoration into a private experience, rather than a publicly shared one, observers said.
Ultimately, this shift would alter how memories about the event were passed down by generations, one professor of communications said.
As Wednesdayโs 36th anniversary of the crackdown approaches, the Post reviewed the archives of public libraries and university libraries and surveyed bookshops to assess the availability of books in Chinese or English on the topic.
Public libraries used to house 149 titles, totalling 1,162 copies about the event, according to a list released by the Home Affairs Bureau in 2009 in response to a lawmakerโs request.
None of the titles are available on the public libraryโs online catalogue, according to a recent search. In a reply to the Post, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department said public libraries reviewed and withdrew materials to ensure โtheir compliance with the laws of Hong Kongโ.