VSt is in the darkest sky that the stars shine brightest. They show us the way to the future and guide us out of the most formidable chasms. In times of despair, the incredible courage of singular individuals and the aura that emanates from them becomes our fuel to move forward – towards a destination that restores dignity and respect to us.
I met Joshua Wong when he was 17: Hong Kong’s most prominent young activist, he had already been on the cover of the magazine Time. He had already made a name for himself because he led a successful campaign against nationalist education brainwashing in Hong Kong. I was four years her senior and we worked together to advance the student wing of the pro-democracy movement. It has never been easy: Beijing is the strongest authoritarian power in recent decades, and any attempt to democratize the system was bound to end up being suppressed by the gigantic state apparatus. While having a clear apprehension of the arduous journey ahead of us, he was fearless, tireless and passionate. We never talked about our fears. But we always discussed in detail what the future would look like if we stopped resisting.
When we first demonstrated together, we didn’t even consider the possibility that, a few years later, we might be separated by prison walls and thousands of miles apart. He is now locked up in prison in Hong Kong, while I am in exile in the UK with refugee status.
Dreams. We did everything together. We have chanted protest slogans in the street, worked in the same Legislative Council office and been imprisoned for the same sentence for the same charge. But in 2020, due to the implementation of the National Security Act (NSL), which criminalizes free speech and jails Democratic activists, our seven-year collaboration came to an abrupt end. By the time the law was passed, his passport was confiscated by the government and he had no way to leave. I was lucky enough to board a plane that transported me to the other side of the world, finding refuge in a democratic country. While he and many other political activists remain behind bars in Hong Kong, I have a responsibility to defend them, and sometimes to speak on their behalf.
The camaraderie and brotherhood that have nurtured and sustained us are irreplaceable. So many of us have stood side by side in protest over the years, fighting for the dreams we shared and continue to share. These days, I often dream of him and the many freedom fighters with whom I had the privilege of working. I dream of our time together and it’s full of passion and fearlessness. The memories and encounters present in my mind keep me motivated and I pledge to do my best to free these people chained by the chains of autocracy.
Certainly, the fight for democracy is accompanied by the hope of finding all my friends. But for some of them, I’m not sure I’ll ever see them again.
Debt. Jimmy Lai has been detained for over seventeen months. In the past two years, he has been tried on at least six counts, including two under the NLA, which carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Now 74 years old, many political analysts believe that the Chinese authorities will imprison him until the end of his life. Jimmy, one of the most prominent supporters of the democracy movement, has a very different background from all of us – he was a billionaire and had a very successful media business. His influence and wealth are the specific reasons he was targeted. He founded the formerly publicly traded Next Digital, which published Apple Daily, a very popular newspaper which was critical of the dictatorial Chinese government. Chinese authorities hate political dissidents and a diversity of viewpoints, and they decided to dissolve the newspaper after the arrest of six of its leaders, including Jimmy. He could have given up on the dangerous act of challenging the most powerful authoritarian regime in the world. He had all the wealth necessary to live an incredibly comfortable life with his loved ones. However, he chose to pay his debt to this city of Hong Kong which had taken him to the firmament, he who had started from scratch.
“I came here with just one dollar. I earned everything I got from this place. »
“If it’s time to pay my debt, it will be my redemption. »
“I could just live my life peacefully, but if I end up in prison, I will have lived my life in a way that makes sense. »
These are the words he told the BBC in his last interview as a free man. He knew the day would come when the police would come knocking on his door. He devoted himself to our city with determination and bravery. The prison walls might end up surrounding him, but they would never imprison his mind. Many political activists still stand up for their beliefs and, if necessary, sacrifice their freedom to preserve justice. When those dark clouds hang over Hong Kong, the city where millions have marched to defend themselves, those tenacious activists show us how precious our freedoms and democracies really are. Their courage reminds us why we must persevere. They decided to stand up and fight against the dictatorial regime – Joshua, for the future of this city, Jimmy, to reimburse this city that gave it everything. People from all walks of life, all ages and all socio-economic backgrounds have their reasons for defending Hong Kong, and they are united by their love for this city.
Act in solidarity. To this day, I vividly remember the time spent with my peers. What I remember most, apart from historical events, are the joys and tears we shared in the most painful and mundane times. Behind all the magnified stories are also individuals with the same needs as you and me. Yet, thrown into these disturbing places and times, they must pay a lot more to hope to enjoy freedom. Admiring them is one thing, being brave enough to act and support them is another. We also have to pay the price – use less cheap products made in China, avoid wearing fast fashion produced by forced Uyghur labour, reducing our countries’ dependence on the Chinese economy – all of these measures that lessen the influence of authoritarian regimes have economic ramifications. However, for them, for my friends, we must act in solidarity. And for us, for the future of the democratic community and the global effort to confront rising authoritarianism, we must stand united.
When we see them, we see hope – the hope of perseverance, the hope of humanity. As long as they are there, we will never despair, we can never give up.
CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP – ISAAC LAWRENCE/AFP