A documentary on the 2019 - 20 protests in Hong Kong, banned from showing in the place where it happened. A history that is intended to be erased in Hong Kong, but will be told and remembered in other parts of the world.
I wasn't sure if I have the courage to watch - there isn't anything in the documentary that I don't already know, but I'm also quite curious what kind of information do non-Hong Kongers have access to and what impression does it leave them.
In fact, this is the first time I reviewed that ~1 year's events in a rather structured manner, showing in sequence, one after another... memories are fresh enough as if it wasn't too long ago that those scenes were playing on the news or even live.
It's also the first time I was able to see it from an "outsider" perspective. Feeling less emotionally overwhelmed, re-watching the series of events from a different angle actually stimulated new train of thoughts and I feel I'm in a better position to say why people or even myself reacted the way we did, and of course these are just my personal opinions and observations.
The need to belong
During the year of protests, there were numerous active telegram channels that served as the tool to gather people, share information, coordinate initiatives. Many sub-teams have formed from these channels or from the protest scenes, each playing a critical role. In the documentary, the majority of interviewees who belong to one of these teams are close to or just over 20 years old, many are still in secondary school.
A recurring theme I heard is how they feel empowered by being part of the team, the sense of belonging, the trust towards one another, the cohesiveness, the unspoken common goals that they are aiming for... all these reflect a strong collectivist culture, and the need to seek belonging as part of human nature. Think of how we belong and like to feel included in our families, at work, in school, in a relationship etc. This is especially true during adolescence but is also increasingly applicable at workplace too. Students tend to hang out in groups, participate in different student clubs, being part of a sport team - all as part of searching a community that hold shared beliefs and values. With various proven benefits to the business, more employers would reiterate company's culture and values, action on initiatives to increase sense of identity, unity and connection among employees.
To intensify this need to belong, some interviewees indicated they are not supported by their families, some have even been abandoned and got disconnected due to different political opinions, and I genuinely believe this is the reality for many families in Hong Kong. There has to be a connection between the formation of these groups/the belonging to a bigger cause and individuals' action. Knowing there are greater common objectives, being part of a group gives people the company, courage and assurance to do what they might not have done as individuals. I'm talking about the majority, of course, there are individuals who play leaders' roles, who hold strong belief in the mission, and who would take initiatives regardless. This is not to say peer pressure overrides the original intention of the protest, the goals have always been there, however, when most people were experiencing these events / degree of violence for the first time, believing that their action is being supported and for a brighter future is certainly reassuring.
The effect of sense of belonging applies even more so to the police. Being in disciplined services means these officers are highly unified and action as a group rather than individuals, now with government blindly having their back, the identity and courage (arrogance) are stronger than ever, reflected by some of the craziest things that have been carried out during the protests.
2. Thinking changes with aging
I think it's fair to say that as we age, we cumulate more life experiences, our values change, which in turn affect how we analyze situation, evaluate risks, make decisions. And if we step into students' shoes, it is not hard to understand why they would care about the future of a society and perhaps more willing to take risks than anyone else would. An average student would mainly be responsible for attending schools, completing his / her studies, figuring out what to do after graduation - often not overly complicated and without financial burden. They are also the ones who will be living their adulthood, experiencing some key milestones, or supposedly building the bright future of the society - it is safe to say that they have high stakes in ensuring the society is in a state in which they'd want to live in or in favour of what they want to pursue. In facing a government or situation that poses threat to the society, the simple solution is to protect the place, ask for changes, speak up, really just anything to drive away the threat. Adults, on the other hand, may see things differently. While many still believe the well being of the society is important, there are other considerations that also require attention - a family to support, income source, other plans set in life - all of which affect how they perceive risks and respond to the threats . Perhaps some adults would have life experiences that empower them to view the situation from more angles, and to have better emotional and impulse control. Again, people with the same intention, regardless of their background or age, are united. The biggest differences lie in how they respond, how much they can tolerate, how much risks they are willing to take.
3. Fight for "freedom"
One thing I have been wondering since the start of the protest is what are people fighting for, and why? At some point during the documentary, I couldn't help but wonder, what triggers and motivates these students to be willing to take the risk, and at least during those critical moments, be willing to potentially give up their future (in order to fight for a brighter future). The short answer is: freedom and democracy. Then the follow up question is, what is freedom anyway? The meaning discussed by the interviewees is the freedom to think, freedom of speech, freedom for Hong Kong to administer itself, and students who chose to be more involved simply were unwilling to watch freedom being taken away. But is this definition of freedom also the same for everyone else? An extreme example would be how would riot police define freedom? Perhaps to execute violence "freely" without having to bear any consequences?
What about the people who have left or eventually will be leaving Hong Kong? Emigrating is widely branded as "path to freedom", but for some people, being away from a familiar community, culture, places, or family may mean another form of freedom being reduced. The interviewees also discussed the motivation - what is it that keeps them going in this journey of fighting for freedom? Some said anger - but anger is like a burst of energy, it's the moment that certain things (government's decisions, police brutality, students in danger etc) that trigger anger and subsequent actions, it fades, until perhaps the trigger reappears. Some discussed how this protest / resistance shall be part of everyday lives in order to last - but how realistic is that? Not too long after the protests started, there was a movement in boycotting businesses that are China-backed or pro-government. I recall during the peak period of protest, people who are aware of the situation are very strict in following which businesses to support to represent their firm anti-government stand. Following this movement definitely require a certain degree of changes to everyday lives, and to me, it just slowly became something natural to support "yellow" non-pro-government businesses as much as possible. Not surprisingly, as the protests died down, as people returned to their day-to-day like pre-protest, as "yellow" businesses were forced to close down, people seem to return to their comfort zones, disregarding political stands. The point is, emotion-driven actions could be quite impulsive and difficult to sustain. On the other hand, integrating resistance into day-to-day lives require huge commitment and not something everybody is comfortable doing.
4. Sacrifice
Many protesters say they are ready to sacrifice, face the legal consequences, in exchange for Hong Konger's freedom. Though I cannot exactly grasp how can one be really ready for serious legal consequences (i.e. up to 10 years in prison). Ironically, the protests have gotten enough international attention that a few key countries decided to loosen up its immigration policies to welcome Hong Kongers, especially in the UK, people with the BNO passport almost are guaranteed with an entry ticket to live and work in the country. The freedom is offered elsewhere, but not retained in Hong Kong, only the legal consequences applied to the arrestees are left.
I have once been told that the ultimate way to revenge is to join your opponent - be one of them on the surface, while you wait for the right opportunity to revenge - easier said than done. I genuinely believe it is a very powerful move. But is anyone really ready to lose that freedom temporarily while holding strong will, staying patient and resilient, and wait for the right time to fight and regain the freedom that may just be forever gone? I doubt.
I'm fortunate enough to be able to watch this documentary in the UK, it certainly serves as a gentle reminder of why I am here.
To those who are bearing legal consequences, I give my full respect and appreciation.
To those who chose to emigrate, let's not forget why we gained relatively easy access to live in another country
To those who chose to stay, I trust that there are still very good reasons to stay in Hong Kong for certain priorities.
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