It was an unprecedented act. And it's unlikely to be repeated in future.
In 1989, after witnessing and reporting news on the pro-democracy movement in China, a total of 64 Hong Kong reporters put their heads together to compile a comprehensive, first-hand account from various perspectives of the movement that ended with the military crackdown at and around Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989.
The 400,000-word book, entitled People Will Not Forget 《人民不會忘記》, was written in Chinese.
It was first published at the end of July 1989, less than two months after the crackdown. Though working for different media organizations in Hong Kong then, 64 journalists held out the same hope of telling the truth, setting the record.
More than 50,000 copies have been sold after it went on sale. With stock running out, no more copies of the book were available in bookstores in recent years.
The Editorial Committee took note of the view that most young people know little about the pro-democracy movement in 1989. So, it reprinted more than 10,000 copies in 2009, the 20th anniversary of the movement.
The latest re-print version contains no substantial change to the content, including text and pictures, and the book size. The purpose is to maintain its originality. The only new addition is a preface and an extended chronology that chronicles major developments related to the movement in the past 20 years.
By making new copies available and put it online, it is hoped that students and society at large will be able to view from a journalist perspective of the events 20 years ago.
Proceeds of the book, as in the past, will go to the People Will Not Forget Fund which is aimed at promoting press and publication freedom in China and Hong Kong. The Fund is managed by the Hong Kong Journalists Association.
The content of the book is also posted online. Only Chinese language version is available.
www.hkja.org.hk/1989report