There are a few photos which I captured when I was visiting in the Mainland China. Through my perspective, I was looking towards my motherland at a distance. The distance is beyond a geographical boundary. It is a sense of ambiguity where I am not familiar with.
In the past, when Hong Kong was still a British colony, we educated and witnessed our society developing towards a democratic one in regards to the principles of liberty, equality and justice. Since handling over sovereignty to China on 1 July 1997, we stood together with our awareness of uncertainty as well as anxiety about our future democratic development. All Hong Kong citizens took a leap of faith believing that the agreement of “One Country Two Systems” would continue our path towards a more autonomous society.
Less than 2 decades ago, time had proven that there was an inevitable conflict between the need of democracy in our society as opposed to the strong intervention from the PRC government. In that moment of realisation, our trust of the Hong Kong government was lost. With the policy makers sitting on the opposite bank, the next question will be: Who will safeguard our promised “One Country Two Systems’?
So often I have been asked about my identity as to whether I am Hong Kong people or Chinese. I am asked “Is Hong Kong a part of China now?”
Definitely my ethnicity is Chinese, more precisely “Han Chinese”. We are Chinese, but we are not under the rule of the Communist Party…..yet! You could use the analogy of light and shadow to describe this issue. We can still enjoy the freedom of using Facebook, Google etc. Our legal system has integrity which are independent of the executive and legistrative branches of the government. However, our city is small enough which shields us completely by a gigantic dark shadow behind our back. In the Kingdom of this dark shadow, falsities are twisted to truths; money/wealth are the only religion being worshipped; morality and justice and luxury items which nobody dares to fight for. In time, this shadow could only grow to be more apparent and powerful.
I wish, one day, I can be able to say, without a complex processing of thoughts, my ethnicity. This wishful thinking only would happen through a restoration of humanity. The Umbrella Movement of 2014 was a wakeup call. A call for reflection of our shrinking degrees of freedom. For those who loves Hong Kong, we are trying to find the exit door in order to safeguarding our principles and preserve the uniqueness of Hong Kong – the unique piece of land in China where we still believe in justice and democracy. Or do we the only Hong Kong, Chinese people will believe that?
