Hong Kong is still freer than Mainland China but more repression and restrictions are on their way

Scene from what may well be the last June 4th memorial event

I'll be able to get into Victoria Park for (back in 2019)

 

Actually, if the authorities have their way, there won't be pretty 

much any mass protest -- however peaceful -- in Hong Kong again :(

 

For the first time in 52 years yesterday, the Oscars were not broadcast in Hong Kong.  Unlike over in Mainland China (where even having a VPN couldn't help much), however, news of Nomadland director-writer-producer Chloe Zhao winning the Academy Award for Best Director -- as well as her film coming away with the Best Picture Oscar -- was easy to find.  And Youtube videos of such as her acceptance speeches for Best Director and Best Picture (and those of another glass ceiling-breaking Asian woman, Best Supporting Actress Oscar winner, South Korea's Youn Yuh-jung) remain accessible online.

 

The silencing of Chloe Zhao over in Mainland China began after an interview she did (and was published) in 2013 -- which contained a quote about the country of her birth being "a place "where there are lies everywhere" -- resurfaced earlier this year.  At this point in time, there is not even a scheduled Mainland Chinese release date for the triple Oscar-winning Nomadland  (whose leading actress, Frances McDormand, also took home an Academy Award yesterday) -- though, in a show of how Hong Kong still differs in many ways from the land over on the other side of the Mainland China-Hong Kong border, this film is currently playing in cinemas here.

 

I've been meaning to check out this highly acclaimed film for some time now, and its triple Oscar win gave me the extra impetus to finally go and view it.  I'm glad I did because Nomadland is truly a beautifully compassionate cinematic offering.  Honestly, it is so sad to think pretty much a whole entire country (minus Hong Kong and possibly also Macau) will be denied the chance to view it, and learn from it and its director.

 

Having now seen the film, I realize that it was entirely in character for Chloe Zhao to have delivered the beautiful acceptance speech she did yesterday, one in which she: spoke about having learnt from Chinese classic literature that 'People at birth are inherently good"; maintained that "Even though sometimes it might seem like the opposite is true, I have always found goodness in the people I met, everywhere I went in the world"; and said that this award was dedicated to "anyone who had the faith, and the courage to hold on to the goodness in themselves, and to hold on to the goodness in each other, no matter how difficult is to do that."

 

I just hope her faith in people to be good will be returned in kind: if not now, then in the not too distant future.  Sadly, her words actually got me thinking of another beautifully talented and sensitive individual, one who wrote in her diary that "I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart".  And while I don't think Chloe Zhao is in any danger any time soon of sharing Anne Frank's fate, I must admit to worrying from time to time in the past year or so (specifically, since the announcement of China's security law for Hong Kong, never mind its actually coming into being) that Hong Kongers will have fates similar to the Jews and other people condemned by the Nazis as well as the Uyghurs of Xinjiang.  

 

Of course there are people (still) who think that I'm over-exaggerating Hong Kong's woes.  After all, it's not even currently in as bad a boat as protestors in Myanmar.  But consider that the authorities here have effectively outlawed even peaceful protests by doing such as sending people to jail for organizing and/or taking part in peaceful assemblies.  Hong Kongers may technically still have the right to free speech, assembly and movement (under the Basic Law, no less).  However, all you have to do these days is to open your eyes and observe what's going on to know that's really not the case any more. 

Just consider the following headlines of a trio of Hong Kong Free Press pieces put up online today (and click on the links to read the articles): Fifth senior official quits Hong Kong public broadcaster RTHK; National security clampdown casts shadow over Hong Kong's annual Tiananmen Massacre vigil; and Organizer of Hong Kong's mass pro-democracy demos faces police probe, as force demands financial records.  In addition, tomorrow will see an immigration bill go on the agenda of the now opposition-less Legislative Council that would give the authorities virtually unlimited powers to prevent residents and others from entering or leaving the territory.  

 

If passed, potentially as soon as tomorrow (since there probably won't be that much discussion of -- never mind voiced opposition to -- it), the bill could take effect as early as August 1st.  Which is why I have friends who have talked about it being imperative that they leave Hong Kong before that date.  This in addition to friends who have already left. :(