“Diaspora” is a continuation of “An Exile.” That was about departure from Hong Kong and arrival in a new place. This focuses on the period after arrival.
Both are intended as sequel to the book, Liberate Hong Kong: Stories from the freedom struggle, which is about the 2019–2020 protests. That in turn follows As long as there is resistance, there is hope about the period from 2014 to 2018, and Umbrella: A Political Tale from Hong Kong about the 2014 Umbrella Movement.
“Diaspora” will appear in installments. The previous installment was “The fight for HKDC.”
The translation of the message below is mine. The original is here.
8. Anna’s message
Hi, everyone! My name is Anna Kwok. In 2019, I ran three G20 global newspaper crowdfunding projects through the account, “Knorr Brand Macaroni” 「家樂牌通心粉」. From 2019 to 2020, I collaborated in the activities of “Underwater” (an anonymous network). In 2021, I joined Hong Kong Democracy Council, an advocacy organization in the United States. I am currently the Strategy and Campaigns Director and have been lobbying for the Hong Kong parts of the “US Competition and Innovation Act.” Today I hope to share my story with Hong Kong people, especially those who have up to now participated anonymously in the movement, and call on those of you who have worked with me, or have been part of the same anonymous networks since 2019, to continue with me. Regardless of whether you use your real name or a pseudonym, whether in Hong Kong or abroad, I hope that everyone can move forward together and find a way out for Hong Kong.
Background
In June 2019, as part of the G20 team, I made a post on LIHKG [an online forum popular among HK protesters] and organized publications of ads in newspapers. Within days, full-page advertisements were placed in 16 newspapers in 13 countries. Under the slogan, “Stand with Hong Kong at G20,” they asked heads of state to confront China at the G20 Summit in Japan and raise the issue of Hong Kong autonomy and democracy. Thanks to the solidarity and unity of Hong Kong people, our team was fortunate to have the help of a wide range of different people, and our goal was realized. I remember well the effort of coordinating the work of various teams in different countries in designing, drafting, accounting, legal work and other areas, and I deeply felt the world-class unity and efficiency of Hong Kong people in the process. I was fortunate to work with “hands and feet” [手足=fellow protesters] who assisted and shaped Hong Kong’s decentralized image and international outreach in 2019. After the first campaign, our G20 team cooperated with the Lamchao [“If we burn, you burn”] team in August to jointly crowdfund, with our team responsible for the publication process. The main purpose of this second round of advertisements was to get the international community to recognize that Hong Kong is on the front line of the global struggle against authoritarianism and the international community should “Catch Hong Kong As We Fall” by supporting us in resisting red oppression and the aggression of the Communist Party. In October, our team launched the third round of global newspaper advertisements. On October 1, we focused on raising global awareness of the evil deeds of the CCP. After these three successful publication campaigns, our team disbanded and everyone returned to their respective lines of work, including being on the frontlines, sentinels, first-aiders, communications, etc. Right up until we disbanded, most of us never knew each others’ real names, but we imagined together that maybe one day when taking public transport, the stranger sitting next to us will be a “hands and feet” with whom we made history. (Former collaborators with whom I’ve lost touch, please feel free to contact me at any time.) Since the G20 campaign, I have played coordinating or assistant roles in different groups and networks, working on publicity, networking, Telegram channels, frontline support, etc. Over time, the movement was forcibly suppressed by the government, and people in different organizations and networks gradually left and withdrew. By June 2020, the national security law came into effect, and the national security police began a high-profile crackdown. Hong Kong officially entered the era of authoritarianism and oppression.
Aftermath
Several colleagues with whom I had closely collaborated were followed, interrogated, arrested and prosecuted under the national security law. I was warned not to go back to Hong Kong unless I wanted to go to prison. I was in the United States at the time and could not accept that January 2020 would be the last time I’d ever set foot in Hong Kong. I couldn’t believe that what I had done was sufficient grounds for prosecution under the national security law. That warning was a Schrödinger’s cat and the only way to confirm it would be to go back to Hong Kong. The national security apparatus might also allow me to move freely for a year and a half before arresting me. Any act could be used against me. Only when they finally arrested me would I be able to say for sure, “Yes, they have really arrested me.” I could not tell others about my situation at the time. I didn’t plan to disclose my work in the G20 team because I felt that no one could understand the pain of underground/anonymous people, and I didn’t want to burden others. I fell into a kind of trance that lasted about half a year, vacillating between wanting to go back to Hong Kong and risk prison and staying overseas and finding ways to contribute. I felt very helpless, lonely and depressed. On the one hand, I faced a dilemma; on the other, my depression was very suffocating. Because I wanted to continue to hide my identity, I gradually got used to not speaking or sharing my views, and over time, my head became empty. I who had always freely spoken out not only became reticent but also stopped thinking. Fear is a force that can eat away at people. If you are not careful, you will lose a large part of yourself and fall into a zombie-like state. I gradually discovered that many people have experienced this kind of darkness. In fact, everyone was experiencing the same pain, separate and alone, ignorant of one another’s situation. There was a period when I really really wanted to go back to Hong Kong and was even willing to exchange a few years in prison for eventual physical freedom afterwards. I thought it would all be worth it. In internal debates, I would ask myself, “How do you imagine that you could be of greatest use to Hong Kong?” I began to see that international advocacy and being part of the diaspora would be more useful. After a period of time spent mostly in bed, I was told by a friend in Hong Kong, If you come back to Hong Kong and are imprisoned, we will have fewer people who can continue to speak up and work for Hong Kong abroad; you mustn’t come back. One morning in August, I had a nightmare. It took place in Hong Kong. I think many of my friends often have such dreams. In my dream, I wanted to go home. After entering Hong Kong, I walked along a familiar road without incident. But then just before I arrived home, I was arrested by the national security police in the housing estate parking lot. After waking up from the dream, I was very scared but in addition to being afraid, I felt that I could no longer allow myself to be dominated by the fear, I could no longer censor myself because I wanted to remain behind the scenes, I should no longer worry about that. Coincidentally, later that same day, in the afternoon, HKDC invited me to join its team. I accepted without hesitation. My decision at the time confused friends who didn’t know what had happened. I hope you can understand now. Although I may never know whether I would definitely be arrested upon return to Hong Kong, I have made a decisive choice: instead of being silent all my life, I have chosen to find my own way, devoting myself to the liberation of Hong Kong. After joining HKDC, I told my story to colleagues and felt a unique freedom. Although the story is very heavy, it can be said openly and honestly, “These people are my friends, we have done these important things together, and I will continue to move forward with them.” I finally feel worthy of what my comrades have experienced.
Finding a way forward
Since joining the organization, I often ask myself, How will the Hong Kong nation move forward? Some say we don’t have a common religion like Tibetans or Jews, nor do we have a common history and culture like Uyghurs. The future of Hong Kong people is bleak. I don’t agree. Don’t forget: whether it was the Umbrella Movement of 2014 or the decentralized protests of 2019, the collective political power shown by the Hong Kong people caused a sensation around the world. To this day, when I talk to activists and political leaders from elsewhere, they are amazed at the political strength of the Hong Kong people. I envision that the Hong Kong diaspora will become a political diaspora, and everyone will further the political cause of Hong Kong people in their various fields of work, entering various political systems and organizations. Through the accumulation of political capital and the political mobilization of communities, we can unite and blaze a trail to the liberation of Hong Kong. Political power is not limited to lobbying foreign governments. We must remember that politicians in democratic countries are responsive to public pressure and businesses in a globalized economy must cater to the market. Therefore, international advocacy can deepen the world’s understanding of Hong Kong and change public opinion toward China. Advocating for changes in politics and consumer behavior is a part of necessary political work. In all honesty, is there anything that can be done now to immediately and directly liberate Hong Kong? Probably not. But many things must be done gradually. We must first heal the wounds caused by 2019, and then collectively gain international support, increasing our power, influence and connections in order to prepare the way for true autonomy for Hong Kong. So what do we need most now? Everyone. I understand that many people are facing various considerations and difficulties, whether in regard to their own safety, finding a livelihood, adapting to a new environment, and so on. These are time-consuming and difficult pressures, enough to push people over the edge. So, no matter where you are now, please be sure to heal and take care of yourself; don’t go too far and isolate yourself from others during the healing process. Hong Kong people must support each other in surmounting this hurdle—we are lost from the movement and we must find strength again from the movement. I hope that by “politically coming out of the closet,” I can help to connect others, so that everyone who still lives in fear and confusion will know that in fact, all can rekindle their beliefs, find a way out, regain control of their lives, and liberate Hong Kong together. In the past, some people asked me to participate in a particular election, but I refused because I felt that I had no background in social movements, had no intention of competing for political fame and fortune, and did not want to get involved for complicated personal reasons. Today, however, the situation is different. Hong Kong is fragmented and civil society has been decimated. Against this background, we must be more active in developing new networks, nurturing new faces, and sparking new imaginations. Only through this long struggle do we stand a chance of winning and finding a way out for Hong Kong’s future. If political amateurs like myself who have no background in social movements and who were once depressed and felt that there was no way forward dare to devote ourselves to fighting the CCP, find the strength and faith to move forward in political work, and stand up again, I believe everyone can find their own way. Anxiety and uncertainty are a perennial part of life. The only constant is the time to keep moving forward. No matter how sad you are, it will pass; no matter how powerless you feel, it will be resolved. I hope everyone can face their grief, sort it out, find hope for the future again, and work hard to move forward. Hong Kong is now completely destroyed. Even if our generation may not see the day of liberation, we must not lose faith or give up hope—we have nothing but faith. Therefore, with our hope and that of our comrades, we should gradually find a road to liberation and rebuild Hong Kong. The road ahead is long and we have to keep going until Hong Kong becomes fully autonomous and we have real freedom.
Anna posted the above message on Facebook in April 2022, not long after she joined HKDC. The narrative of her personal struggles resonated with many, and the post was widely shared. Her rock-solid practical competence, commitment, and abundant social skills were an asset for HKDC, and she came to play an increasingly important role.
Her personal transition, from action to despair to progressive action, from anonymous to public, mirrors the transition the diaspora is undergoing. Given her youth and lack of reputation (due to anonymity) as a leader in the struggle, I found her courage and confidence extraordinary. But she didn’t even make it look like that, so matter-of-factly did she step forward. It is hard to say if it is simply that the role suits her, or that she makes the role that suits her, with an attitude that says, Well, let’s just take this a step at a time, let’s move forward; we’ll figure this out together. I find this approach refreshing and promising.
A little over a year later, she ended up assuming the executive director position at HKDC. Now she runs the place.
And a half-year after that, she is one of eight exiled Hong Kongers in three countries for whom the Hong Kong government has issued arrest warrants and bounties, on suspicion of having committed national security offenses, thus definitely answering the question she had before of whether or not she’d be arrested if she returned to Hong Kong.
When I first saw the photos accompanying the arrest warrants, I noticed there was one woman and asked myself, Who could that possibly be? I didn’t even recognize Anna. She looked like a school girl. In fact, when the photo was taken, she was still a school girl. It was from her Hong Kong ID.
By targeting those eight, the Hong Kong government seemed to be trying to intimidate the diaspora, to “strike fear into our hearts.” In fact, it looked clueless, powerless. It maladroitly elicited an outpouring of condemnation and bad press at a time when it was attempting to project the image to the world that it was now “business as usual” in HK. That the regime felt the need to strike out so wildly was a sign of the diaspora’s impact. The US-sanctioned HK Chief Executive John Lee called the eight “street rats” to be avoided at all costs. Portraying someone like Anna, a young woman simply trying to live a dignified and meaningful life, like that just made it seem all the more ridiculous.
In fact, I was among those inspired by her to drop the barriers protecting my identity, come out of my shell, show myself. I still had fears, not for myself but for those to whom I was connected, but felt I had to make a stand. Or maybe not that exactly; it just seemed part of the diaspora’s transition from its initial phase after going into exile to the next.