【海上的六四：隱沒於歷史檔案的「民主女神號」】 #檔案研究

今年六四紀念館場地被查封、一系列打壓六四集會嘅手段盡出，連流水式只要著黑衫手持燭光都被當潛在參與「非法集會」。但回到30年前的時空，卻能發現陸上以外一條較少人提及的「海洋戰線」，曾經活現於近幾年解密的有關六四的英國解密檔案，不僅能夠見證後六四以來各種延續意志的嘗試，亦為現時空間收窄中的香港帶來啟示。

六四事件後，民運人士分別被迫逃亡海外，但仍有逃亡人士在法國集資購買一艘船，名為「民主女神號」(goddess of democracy radio ship)，船首掛著手持火炬民主女神像，目標是重返歸來。

解密檔案紀錄，1990年3月民主女神號由法國出發，目的地定在台灣，而中途有停留新加波以及香港的打算。船上有廣播訊號器(radio transmitter) ，主要在公海向內陸廣播宣傳，突破消息封鎖。

一份近年解封的英國解密檔案 (1990 FCO 40 2932 Political activism accusations of subversion in Hong Kong)，清晰記述英方電報指當時有消息說「民主女神號」有停留香港的意圖，從港英內部及外交部電報交往可見，中方對民女號作出各種威脅，(The Chinese have made all sorts of threatening noises as to what they might do should this occur)，除了要求港英政府拒絕民主女神號的停泊申請外，英方更估計如果民女號對中國進行廣播戰的話，中方就會採取「適當措施」(“appropriate measure” against the ship)，到時民女號將被視為小型「六四」(heralded as a mini Tiananmen)。

相比新加坡及台灣當局，當時港英已表明會拒絕船隻的停泊申請，明言擔心香港會變成「政治戰場」 (political battleground)，還向英方及港英的法律顧問查明，指即使船隻就艋只路經香港海域，聯合國海洋公約中所謂「無害通過權」(innocent right)，也不適用於民主女神號的情況，故此是「合法合規」。換言之，英方實質上封殺了船隻接近香港的機會。若發生在今日香港，民主女神號很可能未接近香港水域已被攔截送中。

最後船隻於1990年5月，獲台灣當局同意停泊基隆港。可見，如此小小民船可讓中、英雙方如此警惕，牽起過中、台、新加坡、英、法等多方外交關注，是對「陸路已盡」的逃亡者開創出水路的民間實踐。

除了透過民主女神號進行廣播戰外，當時六四民運人士還打算海運「民主女神像」(statue of goddess of democracy) 的文宣物品突入自由港。翻查英國解密檔案(1991 FCO 40 3215 Hong Kong and China subversion)，在91年5月尾，港英收到風聲，停泊在台南的民主女神號雖然不會冒險來港，但船頭高達115厘米的民主女神像(115 centimeter high statue of the goddess of democracy (it may be the one on the prow of the ship))正已運往香港，當時港英立即趕急要海關緊急檢查(urgent check)海運貨物，不容許這尊民主女神像入境，讓其在六四集會兩周年前夕出現，這也是比較少人知悉民女像曾是港英暗地裡的「違禁品」。

在6月1日，有一千個小型民女像 (A thousand miniature replicas of the goddess of democracy statue) 被搜到經海運流入香港，而持有者亦正正就是民主女神號的新船主台灣商人吳孟武 (Wu Meng Wu)。

根據港英及英國外交部的內部電報來往，由於民主女神像並不是課稅品(dutiable commodity)，當時港督衛奕信承認單純以進出口貨品法例，並不足以限制政治文宣物品入境，但海關則可以用「檢查」名義扣留貨品，拖至6月6號才歸還。最後千座民女像在30年前被扣押至6月5號，再運回台灣。

當時港英還與中方「匯報」，透過今次扣留，可令到來自台灣的挑釁(Taiwan-based provocation) 難以在六四前出現。即使當年港英強調「法治」，但一面對外交壓力，卻以行政手段扣留政治敏感物品，更顯英方當時對華外交策略妥協的一面。

事後民主女神號於2003年於台南安平已被悄悄解體，但透過英國解密檔案，卻能重現當時民主女神號的外交影響。尤其在現時嘗試改編六四歷史嘅香港，當年民間實踐的多樣性及能動性，「出船」當然不會完全適用現今局勢，但這種「流水」精神早已被歷史記載。

Photo credit : 台灣蘋果日報

#真。流水式運動
#六四三二
#檔案研究

參考資料:
1990 FCO 40 2932 Political activism accusations of subversion in Hong Kong
1991 FCO 40 3215 Hong Kong and China subversion

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