The exodus from Hong Kong continues

 

Hong Kong blues

 

In my previous post, I wrote about singer-activist Anthony Wong Yiu-ming having been arrested and charged with voting corruption (along with pro-democrat politician Au Nok-hin).   As The Wall Street Journal's Fan Wenxin observed over on Twitter, "It's rare for celebrities to get arrested for political reasons."  

 

In his Twitter thread about Anthony Wong Yiu-ming, Fan noted that the entertainer also was a mentor to many: specifically, "Other than his own music, he created People Mountain People Sea, an indie music brand and performance camps."  Also, that "Some of his former trainees grew up to be new generation pop stars or documentary movie directors, winning Golden Horse [awards] and at Cannes. They'll be watching how [the Independent Commission Against Corruption] and the court handle Mr. Wong's case."  In other words, they will be keeping a watch to do such as figure out whether to stay or leave Hong Kong themselves. 

 

A number of other local personalities have decided not to wait any longer and have left Hong Kong already.  Among them are film director Jevons Au and actor Anthony Wong Chau-sang (no relation to Anthony Wong Yiu-ming but also a well known pro-democracy supporter).  And yesterday, two more joined that growing list (that doesn't just include people explicitly wanted by the Hong Kong police such as Nathan Law, Simon Cheng and Ted Hui).    

 

Actually, both veteran political commentator Stephen Vines and artist Kacey Wong left Hong Kong before yesterday.  But the day after Anthony Wong Yiu-mings arrest was when they made their departures public.  In an email to friends and colleagues, Vines specifically cited the national security law crackdown as the reason that he left the city he had called home for 35 years.  "The white terror sweeping through Hong Kong is far from over and the near-term prospects of things getting better are simply non-existent", he wrote.   

 

In his farewell message posted on social media, Kacey Wong let people know that "When you received this letter, I have already left. Leaving is not easy, staying is also difficult. We have known each other for 51 years, I will not forget you. Let’s treasure each other, goodbye Hong Kong".  Like with Vines, the national security law crackdown compelled him to pack his bags and flee.  And the last straw for him, "the critical moment for the decision to leave was the [arrest of the] 47" pro-democracy activists and politicians in one fell swoop back in late February.  

 

How quickly things can change can be seen in Wong having expressed his optimism for Hong Kong as late as June 2020, days before China's security law for Hong Kong came into effect.  "You can’t stop people from laughing, it’s like stopping them from breathing. They’ll laugh more," he said then.  Sadly, I get the feeling he's not laughing much anymore and, instead, shedding bitter tears instead.

And, for the record, the following are the lines which Vines' most recent book, Defying the Dragon: Hong Kong and the World's Largest Dictatorship, published earlier this year, ended with and on:  "Defying the dragon of the Chinese regime involves sacrfice and determination.  Both are qualities that have characterised the Hong Kong spirit and its incredible history of overcoming adversity.  As Lester Shum said: "The city is definitely not dead.""  I hope he still thinks this, and that he will -- and Wong -- will continue to keep on standing up for Hong Kong even though they are now in exile along with what must now be tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of other Hong Kongers.