Ever since I joined the ranks of Youth Are Awesome, I have been writing about riots and protests non-stop. As soon as one stops, another one springs up from the muddy ground.
On Sept. 26, the people of Hong Kong filled the streets and occupied every crack as a response to the recent decision made by the National People’s Congress of China to severely cripple Hong Kong’s democratic power. It was established that in order for the Hong Kongese to choose their next Chief of Executive (Leader of the Hong Kong government) in 2017, a nomination committee has to choose three candidates from a list of Party-approved hopefuls for the general public to vote upon. Even then, the winner of the elections has to be approved by the Central government. This will drastically restrict the Hong Kongese’s control over their own political affairs, and further the Central government’s grasp in Hong Kong. The citizens of Hong Kong is now calling for universal suffrage and an end to the oppression of their democratic rights.
Coined the “Umbrella Revolution” due to the abundance of umbrellas present in order to protect protesters from tear gas grenades, the movement is well into its second week; and although losing numbers due to fatigue, the message is still going strong. People from all around the world are showing their support by wearing a yellow ribbon. The White House, U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon and the Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird have provided their utmost support, even though the Harper government itself has been somewhat quiet to this manner. Canada’s relationship with China is very complicated. With trade agreements and diplomatic handshakes on the line, nations including Canada are treading carefully.
Between the riot police, tear gas, and the barricades, the Chinese government is working tirelessly to prevent any news of the protests to leak through to the mainland media. Known as the “Great Firewall of China,” China’s heavily censored internet is controlled by the Communist party, and anything that can be used against the party has been and always is quickly removed from existence. Although sounding harsh, this fact is hardly surprising. Democratic demands from both Hong Kong and Taiwan have always been blocked from the general public.
With that in mind, I felt that the intricacies and complexity of the Umbrella Revolution required some outside expertise; so I have invited a fellow classmate in for a interview about his perspectives on the matter.
Kyle Wong, a 12th grader at Henry Wisewood, is a Canadian-born Chinese with Hong Kong backgrounds. The topic of the protests have surely to have come across his dinner table more than once, and I have found that he has done more than his share of research. Kyle can be seen around the school wearing a yellow ribbon on his left breast, a symbol for universal suffrage and democracy in Hong Kong.
Eddy: Describe to us your opinion towards the actions of the Chinese Government in response to the peaceful protests. (riot police, censoring, ignoring the people’s pleas)
Kyle: Their behaviour is to be expected. When you get down to it, they don’t want Hong Kong to achieve democracy, and they don’t want their democratic ideals to spread into the mainland. That being said, the Chinese government is stuck between a rock and a hard place. In their position, they would have to take actions against the protesters, or else the fires of democracy might grow out of control. On the other hand, they cannot forcefully or violently stop these protests, because the rest of the world is watching their next move.
Eddy: What is your reason to wear the yellow ribbon? Or rather, why does the protests matter to you as an individual?
Kyle: I believe that I have a responsibility – as a person with a Hong Kong background – to bring attention to the human rights issues brought out by these protests. We need to realize that the government – no matter democratic or communist – is responsible for their actions and their citizens.
Eddy: What do you believe the outcomes of this protest will be, to the best of your knowledge?
Kyle: I think that it will die down after a while, as the protesters are tired for being out on the streets for more than two weeks. For example, the people of Hong Kong are already trying to work around the protests. Civil workers are going back to work and students are going back to school, and the protesters are backing off in order to allow them the mobility to do so. Unfortunately, the truth is that the current political structure in Hong Kong will most likely stay unchanged. As of right now, the Communist party is too strong and their power can only be matched by a global force. The downside of having such a globalized world is that realistically, no other superpowers will voluntarily stand up to China due to its strong economic presence globally.
Eddy: If that is you believe, then what did the protests really achieve?
Kyle: I find it comforting and empowering that the Hong Kongese are still trying to exercise their deserved democratic rights and freedoms, as they were somehow successful in holding protests of that grand a scale, unlike the mainland citizens. This means that they won’t stand by idly and China step over them. They are willing to protect their democratic rights that they were born with. I think that it is really reassuring that the protests were largely lead by university students. As leaders of tomorrow, they have the responsibility and the capability to stand up for their own rights and freedoms.
I’d like to thank Kyle Wong for joining me today, and providing us with these prudent and well thought-out responses. Kyle is an avid supporter of Hong Kong’s fight for their democratic rights and freedoms, and he encourages others to join the rally.
With the request of Kyle Wong, I’d like to share with you the lyrics of the Cantonese version of the song, “Do You Hear the People Sing?” (featured in the play “Les Misérables”). Adopted by the Civil Disobedience Campaign, The Occupy Central with Love and Peace translated the song into Cantonese in order to reflect the unwavering spirit of the Hong Kong people, and the hope that one day, their dream of living in a democratic society might be fulfilled.
‘Who Has Yet to Speak?’
Tune: ‘Do You Hear the People Sing?’
Has any of us yet to speak, and know that only we can fend our land?
When it’s our birthright to have the zeal and the right to decide, who would choose a hopeless voiceless stance?
Could any of us have yet to wake, to hear the music of freedom reign?
And once provoked, we cannot afford to defy the call of our conscience’s chord.
Why is our dream still a dream, Pleading for the sanction that’s mocking scheme?
Let the truth and lies and the wrongs and rights and the black and white witness for our fight.
For the future of the generation, we open our eyes prompt and bright!
None have the right to indifference, seeing in the twilight each light alights,
to enlighten the dark of the night.
Search our hearts and toil our hands to strive to elect our own fate we’re intent.
We are all that we are, With our duty and liberty to self-determine our end.
