In Week# 17, I introduce you the Mabel, of {Hong Kong, China}, of who I consider among the most lovely and brilliant of minds I've met in my travels. I photographed Mable in the cities of Turin and Riomaggiore, in Italy.
Contextually it might be helpful to understand that under British colonial rule, Hong Kong operated as a separate entity for many years. It returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with a promise of a high degree of autonomy, judicial independence, and freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland China, under a formula known as “one country, two systems." With recent changes in the ruling the government, the Chinese Communist Party, independence and democratic procedures are being slowly undermined and eliminated. Injustice lays in the wake.
Mable is a part of the SCM and the Umbrella Movement, which is a group that is seeking for democratic reforms in Hong Kong. It has required dedication, sacrifice, and perseveration -- and it makes me proud to call her a friend. Here's what justice looks like in her world..
---
“Hong
Kong’s judicial independence is coming under political pressure.
Core
values such as freedom of speech, human rights, rule of law,
democracy and professionalism have become shaky.
Democracy is what Hong Kong people long looking for, but it's a yet
achieved goal. The dual universal suffrage stipulated in the Basic
Law has been rejected by Chinese government. They've insisted that
candidates for the position of chief executive have to be
pre-screened.
It means that Hong Kong people cannot freely choose the city’s next
leader in 2017.
It is how injustice happening recently in Hong Kong.”
“Six
plainclothes officers took a man to a dark corner behind a nearby
building and threw him to the ground during umbrella movement. Some
kicked and beat him, while others kept watching. Pictures were posted
on Facebook and reported in television showed obvious cuts and
bruises on his face and neck as well as circular welts running down
his back. It is definitely a “real” threat to personal safety,
ironically, none of the officers has been sent to jail. It
is how injustice spreading and threatening Hong Kong.”
It
is my luck to witness the Christians in Hong Kong responding to the
Occupy Central protest, as well as umbrella movement, in prayer and
actions. On July 1, 2014, a group of students decided to escalate the
protest by occupying a road till the next morning.
I was one of
them. I saw a group of Christians sitting in a circle inside the
park and praying for the protestors, universal suffrage and justice
in Hong Kong. Christian symbols are highly visible during protests as
demonstrators form prayer groups, carry crosses and openly read
bibles. It is beautiful hear that churches are
supporting the protestors during umbrella movement with food
and shelter while others were offering first aid, snacks and
refuge to the protestors. It is so beautiful on witnessing the
solidarity of Christians in fighting for common goods of society
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here's a great article from the NYTimes on Hong Kong, students, and protest!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/08/world/asia/hong-kong-people-looking-in-mirror-see-fading-chinese-identity.html?_r=0