7th Anniversary of Hong Kong's Anti-Extradition Movement: Hong Kongers in Taiwan Hold Memorial Event Defying the Rain
Marking the 7th anniversary of the outbreak of Hong Kong's Anti-Extradition Movement, Hong Kongers and civil society groups in Taiwan held a memorial event at Taipei's Liberty Square on the evening of the 12th. Attendees sought to preserve the memories of Hong Kong, while human rights worker Lee Ming-che urged Taiwan to remain vigilant by remembering China's broken promise of 'One Country, Two Systems.'
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This year marks the 7th anniversary of the outbreak of the Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement in Hong Kong. Defying the wind and rain, Hong Kongers in Taiwan held a commemorative event at Liberty Square on the evening of the 12th, hoping to awaken fragments of memories of Hong Kong.
Hong Kongers in Taiwan, the group Hong Kong Outlanders, and Taiwanese civil society organizations jointly held the "June 12 Action" commemorative event at Liberty Square on the evening of the 12th.
The organizers noted that the theme of this year's action plays on the homophone of a Chinese idiom meaning "acting merely as a routine and formality." In past social movement discourse, this idiom often carried a derogatory connotation, implying routine events that become mere formalities lacking substantive change. Therefore, the organizers hope to rethink the meaning of overseas actions and construct an imagined "Hong Kong" community within a free country.
The organizers unrolled a chronological banner commemorating Hong Kong, which recorded events starting from the 2012 Anti-National Education Movement, through the 2014 Umbrella Movement, to the 2019 Anti-Extradition Movement.
Exiled Hong Konger Fu Tong attended wearing a yellow raincoat that read "Disheartened, withdraw the evil law." He also erected two flags bearing the slogan "Eliminating the CCP is the only way out."
During the commemorative event, the organizers led the attendees in a one-minute silence for Hong Kong, with participants frequently chanting the slogan "Free Hong Kong."
A Taiwanese citizen named Joanne (pseudonym) attended wearing a cape inscribed with "Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times." She said that when the anti-extradition movement occurred, she was a university student. Seeing the incidents at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, combined with having friends studying in Hong Kong, made her feel particularly empathetic toward the movement.
Joanne stated she believed Taiwan was also facing a democratic crisis at the time and worried that Taiwan might become the next Hong Kong, which led her to continuously follow Hong Kong issues and conditions. Seeing that there are now banned books and banned songs in Hong Kong, she cannot help but be reminded of the White Terror period that Taiwan once experienced. She emphasized that as an ordinary citizen, she must safeguard Taiwan's democracy.
Human rights worker Lee Ming-che stated, "Memory is a very important thing." He noted that Hong Kong used to be a place with the rule of law and basic freedoms, and only through memory can people realize that Hong Kong is now an abnormal society.
Lee Ming-che emphasized that for Taiwan, the reason to remember Hong Kong is that China once promised Hong Kong that "One Country, Two Systems" would remain unchanged for 50 years. However, less than halfway through this promised time, China publicly declared it a historical document. "When a country does not keep its own words and does not abide by international laws and treaties, how can Taiwan believe in such a country?"
Lee Ming-che also mentioned that some Taiwanese people say they should trust the goodwill of General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping. He questioned, "How can one believe such words?" When Hong Kongers demanded the Chinese government fulfill its promises, what they received was the National Security Law and Article 23 legislation; it is impossible for Taiwan to trust such a regime. The meaning of remembering Hong Kong for Taiwanese people is to understand what a regime like the CCP is capable of doing.
Hong Kongers in Taiwan, the group Hong Kong Outlanders, and Taiwanese civil society organizations jointly held the "June 12 Action" commemorative event at Liberty Square on the evening of the 12th.
The organizers noted that the theme of this year's action plays on the homophone of a Chinese idiom meaning "acting merely as a routine and formality." In past social movement discourse, this idiom often carried a derogatory connotation, implying routine events that become mere formalities lacking substantive change. Therefore, the organizers hope to rethink the meaning of overseas actions and construct an imagined "Hong Kong" community within a free country.
The organizers unrolled a chronological banner commemorating Hong Kong, which recorded events starting from the 2012 Anti-National Education Movement, through the 2014 Umbrella Movement, to the 2019 Anti-Extradition Movement.
Exiled Hong Konger Fu Tong attended wearing a yellow raincoat that read "Disheartened, withdraw the evil law." He also erected two flags bearing the slogan "Eliminating the CCP is the only way out."
During the commemorative event, the organizers led the attendees in a one-minute silence for Hong Kong, with participants frequently chanting the slogan "Free Hong Kong."
A Taiwanese citizen named Joanne (pseudonym) attended wearing a cape inscribed with "Liberate Hong Kong, Revolution of Our Times." She said that when the anti-extradition movement occurred, she was a university student. Seeing the incidents at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, combined with having friends studying in Hong Kong, made her feel particularly empathetic toward the movement.
Joanne stated she believed Taiwan was also facing a democratic crisis at the time and worried that Taiwan might become the next Hong Kong, which led her to continuously follow Hong Kong issues and conditions. Seeing that there are now banned books and banned songs in Hong Kong, she cannot help but be reminded of the White Terror period that Taiwan once experienced. She emphasized that as an ordinary citizen, she must safeguard Taiwan's democracy.
Human rights worker Lee Ming-che stated, "Memory is a very important thing." He noted that Hong Kong used to be a place with the rule of law and basic freedoms, and only through memory can people realize that Hong Kong is now an abnormal society.
Lee Ming-che emphasized that for Taiwan, the reason to remember Hong Kong is that China once promised Hong Kong that "One Country, Two Systems" would remain unchanged for 50 years. However, less than halfway through this promised time, China publicly declared it a historical document. "When a country does not keep its own words and does not abide by international laws and treaties, how can Taiwan believe in such a country?"
Lee Ming-che also mentioned that some Taiwanese people say they should trust the goodwill of General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party Xi Jinping. He questioned, "How can one believe such words?" When Hong Kongers demanded the Chinese government fulfill its promises, what they received was the National Security Law and Article 23 legislation; it is impossible for Taiwan to trust such a regime. The meaning of remembering Hong Kong for Taiwanese people is to understand what a regime like the CCP is capable of doing.
FAQ
Where was the 7th anniversary memorial event for Hong Kong's Anti-Extradition Movement held in Taiwan?
The event was organized by Taiwanese NGOs and Hong Kongers in Taiwan at Liberty Square in Taipei.
What historical events were recorded on the banner at the gathering?
The banner chronicled the 2012 Anti-National Education Movement, the 2014 Umbrella Movement, and the 2019 Anti-Extradition Movement.
Why did human rights worker Lee Ming-che say Taiwan must remember Hong Kong?
He emphasized that China broke its 50-year promise of 'One Country, Two Systems,' serving as a stark warning to Taiwan about the CCP's unreliability and authoritarian nature.