OPINION: 'My life is now dominated by an endless stream of bad news from home,' says Hong Kong activist chungchingkwong, who lives in Germany. She laments the international community's reluctance to act: 'The free world has never honored our sacrifices.'
I was born a year before the 1997 handover. I grew up in a time where Hong Kong was free — relatively speaking. I was taught to think critically, to voice my opinions, and fight for democracy and freedom. I became an activist at the age of 15, witnessing first-hand the power of our social movements, seeing the possibility for Hong Kong to change for the better. For a while we even saw victories, like when the government ditched the proposals for a patriotic curriculum.
China's promises of self-government and other freedoms for Hong Kong following British rule were short-lived. Candidates were barred from running in elections and elected legislators disqualified while the world sent"thoughts and prayers" but did nothing. Then the national security law was implemented to curtail the city's freedom and autonomy once and for all. Friends and loved ones were arrested — one by one, disappearing behind bars. I was forced into exile. The world was"deeply concerned." Again, they did nothing. My life is now dominated by an endless stream of bad news from home., people arrested for sedition for commenting on the government's COVID-19 policy, more friends arrested or forced to flee the city.
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