Forwarded from 📡Guardians of Hong Kong
#Interview #HongkongersVoice
Arrested Pro-democracy Uni Student is Not Pessimistic: "The Movement is About Seeking an Ideal, Which Can Only Come True through Practice"
Part 1:
Ah Ling (pseudonym), is a MPhil postgraduate student in Philosophy at Chinese University of Hong Kong (#CUHK). He is also one of 1.03 million citizens who took to the street on 9 June, 2019 to protest against the government’s willful introduction of extradition to China.
At the end of the rally, he headed to the Legislative Council (#LegCo) building to offer help, knowing his fellow protesters needed assistance. Shortly after he arrived at the LegCo building, a large team of police broke into protesters’ defense and arrested Ah Ling and six others.
The seven of them were dragged into the Legco building and forced down on their knees in front of a wall. They knelt there for for five hours. In November 2020, Ah Ling was charged with illegal assembly for piling up mills barriers.
On January 13, 2021, Ah Ling decided to plead guilty. In court, his lawyer stated that Ah Ling was graduated with first class honors and received 18 scholarships in three years. It is likely that he will lose the opportunity to study a Ph.D at Yale University.
Ah Ling was at last sentenced to 16 weeks of imprisonment.
“Actually, many Philosophy students at the Chinese University of Hong Kong have been arrested, accounting for quite a large faction of the total arrestees. For God knows why, we kept being arrested.” Ah Ling said it lightly.
“In times like this, many of us felt being summoned and urged to do something following our [philosophical] training."
Ah Ling said Hongkongers' involvement in the pro-democracy movement came from the “sense of justice”. “We genuinely see the importance in seeking justice in Hong Kong. So willingly, we put in our time and efforts.”
Commenting on the arrests of Jimmy Lai and 12 Youths, Ah Ling expressed, “the authorities will not let go any slightest chance to scourge us.”
The current silence at the street is built up at the expense of disquiet minds and raging hearts. At the end of the Umbrella Movement in 2014, a regression took place. As of this moment, social activism in Hong Kong has seemingly slumped into another state of speechlessness and helplessness. Many people asked how could they carry on?
With reference to history, Ah Ling acknowledged a long and tough journey ahead, “there are too many races going extinct in history. Nobody is giving shit to the so-called resistance and sacrifice. All those brave deeds have been deeply buried in our history.”
But he is not pessimistic.
Ah Ling said, “it doesn’t matter … do not presume that you are going to see any achievement in your lifetime, or like some commentators claimed - the coming two weeks are the most critical. It’s better to drop this mentality altogether.”
“The entire movement is about seeking an ideal, which can only come true through our practice.”
Source: Stand News #Jan21
https://bit.ly/3iyYrXF
#ProtestersStory #Arrest #PhilosophyStudent #University #Youth #Future #Justice
Arrested Pro-democracy Uni Student is Not Pessimistic: "The Movement is About Seeking an Ideal, Which Can Only Come True through Practice"
Part 1:
Ah Ling (pseudonym), is a MPhil postgraduate student in Philosophy at Chinese University of Hong Kong (#CUHK). He is also one of 1.03 million citizens who took to the street on 9 June, 2019 to protest against the government’s willful introduction of extradition to China.
At the end of the rally, he headed to the Legislative Council (#LegCo) building to offer help, knowing his fellow protesters needed assistance. Shortly after he arrived at the LegCo building, a large team of police broke into protesters’ defense and arrested Ah Ling and six others.
The seven of them were dragged into the Legco building and forced down on their knees in front of a wall. They knelt there for for five hours. In November 2020, Ah Ling was charged with illegal assembly for piling up mills barriers.
On January 13, 2021, Ah Ling decided to plead guilty. In court, his lawyer stated that Ah Ling was graduated with first class honors and received 18 scholarships in three years. It is likely that he will lose the opportunity to study a Ph.D at Yale University.
Ah Ling was at last sentenced to 16 weeks of imprisonment.
“Actually, many Philosophy students at the Chinese University of Hong Kong have been arrested, accounting for quite a large faction of the total arrestees. For God knows why, we kept being arrested.” Ah Ling said it lightly.
“In times like this, many of us felt being summoned and urged to do something following our [philosophical] training."
Ah Ling said Hongkongers' involvement in the pro-democracy movement came from the “sense of justice”. “We genuinely see the importance in seeking justice in Hong Kong. So willingly, we put in our time and efforts.”
Commenting on the arrests of Jimmy Lai and 12 Youths, Ah Ling expressed, “the authorities will not let go any slightest chance to scourge us.”
The current silence at the street is built up at the expense of disquiet minds and raging hearts. At the end of the Umbrella Movement in 2014, a regression took place. As of this moment, social activism in Hong Kong has seemingly slumped into another state of speechlessness and helplessness. Many people asked how could they carry on?
With reference to history, Ah Ling acknowledged a long and tough journey ahead, “there are too many races going extinct in history. Nobody is giving shit to the so-called resistance and sacrifice. All those brave deeds have been deeply buried in our history.”
But he is not pessimistic.
Ah Ling said, “it doesn’t matter … do not presume that you are going to see any achievement in your lifetime, or like some commentators claimed - the coming two weeks are the most critical. It’s better to drop this mentality altogether.”
“The entire movement is about seeking an ideal, which can only come true through our practice.”
Source: Stand News #Jan21
https://bit.ly/3iyYrXF
#ProtestersStory #Arrest #PhilosophyStudent #University #Youth #Future #Justice