HK remembers end of Japanese occupation

Hong Kong has marked the 75th anniversary of the day residents first heard news of the Japanese surrender, ending three years and eight months of Hong Kong’s occupation.

At 11:00am, a bugler played the Last Post at the City Hall Garden of Remembrance in Central to mark the occasion which also ended Japan’s eight years of occupation of the mainland.

The director of protocol, Joyce Lee, consul generals from Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, as well as representatives of the military and police laid wreaths after the two minutes of silence to remember those killed.

Wreaths were also laid by veteran organisations including the Prisoners of War Association. Lance Men from the Hong Kong Adventure Corp stood sentry at the shrine.

Due to the pandemic, the public and press could not attend as they normally would.

A parade was planned for uniformed cadets and veteran organisations to march from Hung Hom to the Tsim Sha Tsui Cultural Centre, but that had to be canceled too.

During Hong Kong’s occupation, the population halved with many being forced to leave for the mainland and an unknown numbers dying of starvation.

Many also of those who had fought to defend Hong Kong were put in prisoner of war camps or sent as slave labour to Japan.