Of Hong Kongers who have left but also those who are still here

May 2022 -- a month of goodbyes 

and departures from Hong Kong :S

 

Hong Kong Chief Executive-to-be, John Lee left the city today -- not permanently but, rather, just for a four day visit to see his masters in Beijing.  Today also saw the announcement of a permanent departure from Hong Kong -- in this case, of illustrator VA Wong Sir (who, together with his fellow illustrator, Ah-To, has been so very good at recording and conveying what's been happening to Hong Kong as well as how Hong Kongers feel about it).  "He’s leaving with guilt, shame and anger, but he promised to continue drawing for those who are silenced, he wrote on Facebook."

 

VA Wong Sir is by no means the only, first and probably last Hong Konger to leave because of unhappiness with what's happened/happening to Hong Kong.  As per a CNBC report that came out just yesterday: "Residents of Hong Kong are leaving the city in droves in 2022 — not because they want to ... but because Covid restrictions and what they see as an erosion of democratic norms [no thanks to the enactment of the national security law] are pushing them to leave."

 

To put things into perspective (and to quote the same report): "For the past 60 years, Hong Kong’s population has grown nearly every year, from some 3.2 million people in 1961 to 7.5 million in 2019, according to Hong Kong’s Census and Statistics Department."   But "Hong Kong lost some 93,000 residents in 2020, followed by another 23,000 in 2021. [And] early estimates show this year will see far more people go."      

 

Among the people I personally know who are leaving later this year and have already left are creatives, teachers, journalists and university professors.  Re the latter: one look at this picture of the Democracy Wall at the University of Hong Kong and you should be able to understand why.  But if you require some elaboration, check out  this recent article in Foreign Policy by The Impossible City's author, Karen Cheung.     

 

Against the odds though, there are people who have remained -- and continue producing sterling work.  Among them are the illustrator pair who collectively produce work (like the one at the top of this post) under the moniker All Things Bright And Beautiful, a number of filmmakers who have not left (yet) (ranging from veterans like Ann Hui -- who turned 75 at the beginning of this week -- to relative newbies like Kiwi Chow and Amos Why) and a singer whose work I just discovered today who goes by Gareth T, courtesy of Tweets by K Tse about his latest music video, which features a still happily married elderly couple who are residents of a housing estate which was built in the 1950s (ancient, by Hong Kong standards!) and will be demolished soon and a multi-ethnic Hong Kong crew.  

 

Here's the thing to remember/realise though: "HK artists are still making art! But this is despite of, in spite of, the suffocating environment, not because of it."  Which makes me appreciate their work and efforts all the more, and want to support them.