Hong Kong Protesters Statement

Members of the New Hampshire House,

“One evening, I happened to be in one of the biggest and busiest metro stations in Hong Kong. Once a bustling station packed with lively young couples, it felt more like an eerie ghost town ever since the terrorist attacks broke out across many of the biggest stations in Hong Kong. I never imagined that what I have seen on TV screen would happen to me, until the train I was on suddenly halted. Without warning, policemen crashed into the station, then onto the platforms. They quickly forced their way in, menacingly waving their batons and pepper sprays at innocent commuters. They called us “cockroaches” and started to beat us up. We were defenceless - some of us had umbrellas so we huddled together and opened them to form a makeshift shield, but the police ripped through this too, reaching behind the umbrellas to flog us again and again and again, as if they were consumed by blind hatred towards citizens for committing an unknown yet unforgivable crime. Some of us ran away; some of us sat on the floor and sobbed; some of us just froze, dumbfounded. This scene is just as unthinkable in Hong Kong as it is in New York City, San Francisco, London or Tokyo - a fully-fledged metropolis transformed into a war zone.

As of today, the collusion between the Hong Kong Police Force, the Government it serves and the metro staff means that CCTV footage of that fateful night has still not been released. Why? Why are they being so evasive? Are they trying to hide something? Did they kill someone? It has dawned on the collective consciousness of Hong Kongers that multiple deaths on that night is a very real possibility. Multiple passengers have gone missing for weeks. Multiple Government departments have been either evasive or lying on multiple counts. When they say ‘no one died’ - how can we be expected to trust them?”

The passage above is an abridged account of a paramedic who was present on one of the most mysterious nights in Hong Kong’s history. This night has left Hong Kongers desperate for answers, not least to the question: “did the Police kill anybody?”. Our friends in Hong Kong are truly at their wits’ end in trying to protect what little remains of their rights and freedoms, after continuous and unrelenting attempts by the Chinese Communist Party to erode them throughout the 22 years they have had Hong Kong within their grip.

In a defiant display of collective agency, Hong Kongers have developed an innovative “leaderless” strategy. This has succeeded in frightening the Chinese Communist Party, which is used to suppressing uprisings by arresting leaders that oppose them. But what exactly do Hong Kongers want? It is simple - they have had enough of oppression from communist China, so they are desperate for “anything but”. Hong Kongers are waving the Star Spangled Banner, the flag that symbolises freedom and democracy. They yearn for the day they can lay claim to self-determination in a system that is free from the bloody hands of Communist China.

The horrific scenes you might have seen from these protests may so far have been confined to your TVs or computers - mere images safely contained behind a screen. But this personal story illustrates a much messier and more dangerous existence for the 7 million people in Hong Kong for which being tyrannised by their own Government and Police Force is a daily reality.

Hong Kong is standing on a precipice. 14-year old children who should have been enjoying their summer holidays have instead been thrown onto the frontlines in an uphill battle against the sinister force that is the Chinese Communist Party. Some have shed their young blood, some have gone missing, and still more have gone to jail for their ardent passion for freedom. We must take this opportunity to atone for what we failed to do for the students who were massacred at Tiananmen Square, 30 years ago.

China is not just Hong Kong’s problem - it is a global problem. We should not let geographical distance weaken our resolve to do our part in the fight between freedom and oppression. Hong Kong needs your help to win this battle between David and Goliath. A strong and free Hong Kong will help win the fight to stop the reach of the Chinese Communist Party, so the free world can carry on as a beacon of hope that shines upon the darker parts in which the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness have yet to prevail.

If you are wondering how you might be able to help, the answer is simple: offer your public support for the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act.

In 1989, the Chinese Communist Party power elite did nothing for 49 days because they didn’t know how the United States would react. But after President Bush Sr. sent a signal that the United States would not cut off China’s Most Favoured Nation status, Deng Xiaoping ordered the Tiananmen Massacre.

This demonstrates that the Chinese Communist Party only understands power politics. They will kill again if the United States does not flex its power at critical times. If America continues to give Hong Kong Special Status regardless of how the Chinese Communist Party treats its people, America is openly inviting China to exploit America’s politics, to harm the people of Hong Kong and benefit economically from them at the same time.

The people of Hong Kong are standing firm in their legitimate fight for freedom for the sake of themselves and the whole world. We ask that you stand with us.

We ask you to pressure the president and those running for president to offer a new home in the US to those who have been arrested during marches to protect their freedoms. The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act is just the start. Hong Kongers should never have an expiration date on their freedom.

Thank you.

Citizens Press Conference

@citizenspc