Trying to stay hopeful in a Hong Kong with too many political prisoners, and where lawfare continues to be waged against those seeking justice

 

An exhibition that serves up good reminders and hope

 

As life returns to "normal" after the break that the first few days of the New Year of the Rabbit gave to Hong Kongers, the wheels of injustice have returned to grinding tortuously as well as slowly. Yesterday came news of a 68-year-old woman being sent to prison for 3 months for "seditious remarks" made against a magistrate (which, if you looked closely at the charge sheet, included her clapping (presumably sarcastically) in court!). 

 

After withdrawing an appeal against her conviction, Chu Mei-ying appeared in front of Judge Anna Lai at the High Court yesterday.  "Before [her] court hearing began, over 30 people gathered outside the courtroom, with many hugging Chiu. With help from her daughter, the 68-year-old removed the shoelaces from her shoes outside the courtroom to prepare herself for prison."

 

I don't know about you but my heart ached upon reading about this.  I also got to recalling that in a video made by the now defunct Stand News about how the 47 participants and organisers arrested for taking part in the 2020 pro-democratic primaries back on February 28th, 2020 (the majority of whom have remained behind bars after not being granted bail all this time) had spent their last full day of freedom before going to prison.  This is because one of them, Lee Chi-yung, had spent time buying a new pair of shoes without laces -- since, as the Hong Kong Free Press article about Chu Mei-ying noted, "People going into custody must remove items that could be used to harm themselves or others, including belts and shoelaces."

 

Also reported yesterday was that an even older pro-democracy supporter, 77-year-old activist Chan Ki-kau (AKA Grandpa Chan of the Protect Our Kids group), having been ordered to pay the Hong Kong government HK$510,000 after his attempt to mounta legal challenge against the police over their display of identification during the 2019 protests was dismissed by the court . Further confirmation that lawfare is being waged against older pro-democracy folks in Hong Kong, not "just" the young. 

 

As per a Hong Kong Free Press report: "The 77-year-old filed the initial challenge in June 2019 and alleged that it was “unlawful and/or unconstitutional” for the police Special Tactical Contingent (STC), also known as “raptors,” not to display their unique identification numbers during operations on June 12, 2019" -- the day that I suggested then marked the end of Hong Kong as we knew it.  (And yes, I believe I was right, sadly enough.)

"Chan said he had filed the legal challenge because he saw “injustice,” but was unsuccessful due to his education level", the report continues.  "According to Ming Pao, the Department of Justice had initially asked for around HK$510,000. [The presiding judge] reportedly reduced that amount by about HK$2,000."  So generous -- not!

 

When reading about cases like these, it's hard to not feel psychologically battered and down if you really f**king love Hong Kong and care about what's happening to this place. Which is why little things like the existence of the You are Not Forgotten exhibition taking place at an independent bookstore cum exhibition space called The Hiding Place are appreciated.  (More than incidentally, Hong Kong's The Hiding Place got its name from Corrie ten Boom's book about the hiding place her family used to keep Jews safe in Nazi-occupied Haarlem.)

 

Organised by the Cup of Color NGO, the exhibition -- which is on until this Friday -- consists of 180 artworks telling 20 stories of hope co-created by 170 artists from 68 countries and territories, including Hong Kong.  Among the Hong Kong representatives are Joanne of All Things Bright and Beautiful.  And among the messages of hope are those entitled "Passing the Hope" (whose lit candle theme got me thinking of Hong Kong's (once) annual June 4th candelight vigils in Victoria Park) and "Hope in the Prison" (which I sincerely hope Hong Kong's political prisoners do indeed (still) have).  

 

It is upsetting to me that, as of the end of last month, there were/are 1,337 political prisoners in Hong Kong.  And it also is upsetting to me that there are Hong Kongers who actually think that the situation in Hong Kong is actually "not as bad as many people think" -- something I actually heard with my own ears (and voiced by a friend of a friend) at dinner earlier this evening.  

 

Frankly, people like that can add to my sense of despair as well as anger.  Which is why I feel it is important to remind myself that I am indeed NOT alone, and that hope exists.  Incidentally, two of the themed messages in the You Are Not Forgotten exhibition which personally spoke to me (the most) were about "Hope in the Valley of Death" and "A Forgotten Hope": the former of which I read as hope being alive even when you think it's been extinguished; the latter because some people appear to have given up hoping (that Hong Kong can ever be a good place again) but our being served by our not forgetting what was, and what remains possible.