On the evening of June 4, 2020, we were all “Wang Weilin”, the man who stood alone to block a line of People’s Liberation Army (PLA) tanks on Chang’an Avenue, Beijing.

Pressing on to the border, the Hong Kong version of the National Security Law boasts that scores could be settled afterwards, and charges in full fury just as the onslaught of the PLA tanks onto Beijing’s Chang’an Avenue. Knowing no fear, tens of thousands of Hongkongers came out with their candlelights, unfettered, blocking the threat of the National Security Law and irradiating the darkness under the claws of totalitarianism. It showed our love for Hong Kong, our embrace for freedom and the rule of law, our exposé of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s lies around the unashamed annihilation of the Basic Law and eradication of righteousness. If we kneel before threats, down we all go into eternal perdition. Our abrupt stance today brings momentary pain, but it brings hope for freedom. Hope is the only thing to power us towards victory, to await the CCP’s dissolve. Do not fear, the Lord is with us.

Under the threat of a post-settlement of scores, coupled with the Group Gathering Ban, it seemed like not many would commemorate June 4 in Victoria Park. When I arrived at around 6 p.m., there was already an array of cops, who were broadcasting the threat of “May be charged with unlawful assembly”. The CCP is a manipulator of threats. The Hong Kong police are basically no different from mainland police these days. Yet the threats completely failed, and were regarded as aimless prattling by the crowds awaiting the rally. With the group including Albert Ho and Andrew Wan, I left after starting the candlelight ceremony and attended the June 4 prayer mass at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Sai Wan Ho with Cardinal Joseph Zen and Martin Lee.

When the mass finished at around 9 p.m., a colleague sent over photos of tens of thousands of people, filling the courts and fields of Victoria Park while keeping distance. Hongkongers’ perseverance and love for freedom touch me. I am lucky to have been born a Hongkonger. When I was waiting for my vehicle, a lady approached me and asked, “Mr. Lai, is it true that Boris Johnson pledged to admit 3 million Hongkongers a path to British citizenship?” “It’s true, don’t worry,” I said. “Such timely assistance, how great!” Smiling, as she walked away. Ah, Hongkongers’ inescapable fate of fleeing and scattering. In 1949, coming to Hong Kong was to escape from CCP’s “Liberation”, only to have to emigrate to escape from riots caused by indigenous Communists in 1967. In 1997, people emigrated again to escape from Hong Kong’s return to “motherland”. Today, people will emigrate again to escape from CCP’s National Security Law. In fact, all we’ve been escaping from has always been the Communist devil – “Chairman Xi, who is dearer to us than our parents.” Is this truly the fate of us Hongkongers? Who else can we have faith in other than ourselves: If we stand we will not have to fall, we will not have to flee all over the world. Liberty or death. Those who will emigrate cannot be retained. They are not wrong either, they are just Hongkongers accepting their fate. Flourished under the freedom granted by colonial Britain, Hongkongers built a brilliant Pearl of the Orient on a barren island. Now, suppressed by the evil claws of the domineering Emperor Xi, the barren island may resurface – how is that not heart-wrenching!

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the US and China have been working closely since the Cold War, and the US had believed that with more interactions, China’s economic development would lead to prosperity, and the CCP would open up politically and democratically, to be more like the US. Yet this did not happen, instead, the CCP has become even more of a dictatorship. “Economic development and prosperity promotes democratization of dictatorship” has long been a cherished wish of the West, and they are now, like Pompeo, waking up to disappointments. This wish has historical basis: South Korea, Taiwan, and Chile all emerged from dictatorships to democratic reforms after gaining prosperity from economic developments. No wonder western countries had the consensus that the political opening of a dictatorship following an economic opening is inevitable. They are disappointed because after Xi Jinping came to power, on top of self-proclaiming as Emperor and reverting China to feudal era, he has been confronting the free world in a belligerent “Wolf Warrior” posture.

Yet, while the historical evolution of “Economic development and prosperity promotes democratization of dictatorship” has not yet appeared, it does not mean it will not. According to Darwin’s theory, changes in the evolutionary trajectory are often triggered by mutations. Just as Taiwan’s economic development in the past had leaned towards the middle-class, the 1979 Kaohsiung Incident elicited the deep hatred of the local people against the Kuomintang (KMT), prompting KMT’s mass arrest of elites from the opposition party, which triggered the awakening of the Taiwanese. The Incident galvanized the Taiwanese community into political actions that led to democratic reforms of the KMT one-party state. A similar situation occurred in South Korea, where economic development and improvements in people's livelihood led to the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, initiating the reform of democracy and opening up after the fall of the dictatorship. The situation in Chile was not that different. Milton Friedman alluded to the stepping down of the dictator Augusto Pinochet to his acceptance of the so-called Chicago Boys economic openness proposal of the University of Chicago economist. Will "Wolf Warrior", Strongman Xi Jinping, being in power be the trigger point to the onset of China's reform?

40 years of economic reform in China have lifted the majority of citizens to the affluence of the middle-class. "Economic development and improving people's livelihood" was maintained in calm and peace, bringing legitimacy to the Chinese Communist regime. Since Xi Jinping took over as Chairman, however, his strongman stance and self-proclaiming status as Emperor have left him opposed and deserted. Not only did the Belt and Road and other ambitious projects exhausted foreign exchange reserves, his “Wolf Warrior” attitude has also ruined the China-US relations. The US struck back strongly with economic sanctions towards China: just sanctions on computer chips alone have disrupted more than 75% of Chinese production of technology products, fully exemplifying the extent of economic impact from US sanctions. With the sweeping economic halt brought by the Wuhan Virus, many jobs and enterprises were lost in an unprecedented economic crisis. Once the reserves are exhausted, there will be no money left to save the market. In order to reduce unemployment and save the market, Premier Li Keqiang has resorted to promoting “street-stall economy” out of desperation. Yet Emperor Xi knows no shame, and has adopted an even more aggressive “Wolf Warrior” stance in forcing the National Security Law onto Hongkongers, demolishing the Basic Law right before the world, arrogantly despising international laws and disciplines, challenging the value ethics of the free world, outrageously breaking faith with the world, and killing the golden goose, Hong Kong’s foreign financial trade, which would have at least bolstered China’s economic recovery. Emperor Xi’s contrary ways have brought China into an unprecedented impasse since its economic opening, and he, himself, took on a belligerent “Wolf Warrior” stance against the US. Li Keqiang hurried out with an indirect admonition: Hey boss, billions of Chinese people are still under the poverty line of a thousand Yuan a month, how about we stop picking fights like a goon! Li Keqiang's admonition was immediately deleted, a clear warning not to cross the Emperor. In response to the tough “Wolf Warrior”, and in order to campaign, Trump will impose a series of sanctions and punishments on China, which will further aggravate China's current economic difficulties. Will the Emperor’s wanton acts be the last straw that broke the CCP’s back? Even if the CCP does not fall, Emperor Xi will at least die soon, what a relief at least. Do not fear, the Lord is with us.

(Jimmy Lai is the founder of Next Digital, which publishes the Apple Daily and Next Magazine in Hong Kong and Taiwan.)

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Making Hope Happen, Reform is Right Ahead (Jimmy Lai)

Untruth is truth; Ignorance is strength. Hypocrites are everywhere and we are accustomed to their existence as if it is no more than usual.

Pro-China camp claimed that almost 3 millions people ‘signed’ the petition to support the National Security Law of Hong Kong, but not a lot of people are interested in questioning its credibility. Beijing's rubber-stamp legislature, the National People Congress, passed the National Security Law of Hong Kong, declaring that 1.4 billion people agreed on it, yet nobody lampooned. Those government officials lied through their teeth, saying that they are not figureheads. They are so used to telling lies that they even fooled themselves. I heard that trying to win in elections is equal to seizing power; chanting slogans means treason and subversion; receiving support from foreign friends is equivalent to interfering in Hong Kong's internal affairs. Whilst gaining support for the Hong Kong National Security Law from a country being regarded as “axis of evil” are called words from friends. 

The Communist state wants everybody to be as hypocritical as it is. Artists who are just imposters took the lead in supporting the evil law. Being on TV shows became the daily routine of the heads of the five disciplinary forces. Tycoons and magnates bowed their heads and embraced the “law” in order to protect their businesses. If you ever hesitated, you will be accused of turning a deaf ear and being a fence-sitter by the China state-media, just like HSBC. They force the President of all universities in Hong Kong to make known their positions and are not allowed to keep mum.

In the work “The Power of the Powerless” written by Václav Havel, a Czech writer and the last President of Czechoslovakia, he told a story of a grocery store owner. The slogan “Workers of the world, unite!” was hung on the window of that grocery store. Everyone took that act as innocuous and was used to it under the ruling of the Communist Party, though they might not agree with it. The owner declared his stand, hoping that obedience would bring him an easier life.

Havel stated that this type of “declaring ritual” is critically important to the totalitarian government. If you follow them and declare your position, it implies that you accept the rules of the game and are a part of the system. The declaration set an example to remind others to make “appropriate” decisions, which can be extremely influential. Ultimately, everyone will obey unconsciously which allows despot to live longer and longer, and become even harder to be overthrew. If this happens, we will all be victims, and at the same time, the tools of the system.

Havel said that if these “rituals” are abandoned, the despotic system will collapse. He recommended everyone to “live in truth.” If the owner of that grocery store had removed the slogan and stopped obeying, the world would have changed dramatically.

Does “living in truth” work? The “Power of the Powerless” was written in 1978, which was 10 years after the Prague Spring was suppressed and 11 years before the Velvet Revolution. As “Power of the powerless” was banned in Czechoslovakia, only a few literati knew about it. If anyone dares not to hang the slogan, totalitarians will take revenge on them. My Czech friends said that people ignore the 20 years between the Prague Spring and the Velvet Revolution when they looked into the history of Czechia. After the suppression of the Prague Spring in the 70s and 80s, the society was in a dormant state. No one dared to take a single move. People were at their wits' end under totalitarianism though they were not willing to. Czechs often deride themselves that they were unable to do anything for 20 years, which has been such a long period. We should learn from the story of Czechia: to fight against the tyranny as soon as possible, before the totalitarian power grows too strong, or else we might be put into darkness for God-knows-how-long.

If You Live a Hypocritical Life (Au Ka Lun)

In 2018, Han Kuo-yu was elected the Mayor of Kaohsiung with 892,545 votes. In less than two years time, youngsters of the anti-Han camp called out a higher number of votes (939,090) and successfully ousted the mayor of a special municipality. It is the first time that has ever happened in Taiwan democratic history. People are amazed by Taiwanese’s efficiency and involvement in politics. 

There are of course many reasons for Han's recall: First, he ran for president soon after he assumed office as Mayor, meaning that he lacked commitment and political agenda. Second, he repeatedly chanted his “Get Rich” slogan in response to city constituency members’ inquiries, and was then being labeled as “idiotic.” Third, he failed to keep his promise on those eye-catching policies he proposed(oil drilling, the Love Ferris wheel, Formula One racing, Kaohsiung Disneyland…). And he never apologized. He claimed that his recall to be a conspiracy, asserting that the 1.3 million citizens who did not vote actually supported him. It is only reasonable for a person who is hopelessly toxic like him to be recalled. 

But if we take a step back to look at the big picture of history, maybe then we will discover that Han’s recall is indeed part of a bigger social change. It seems coincidental, but is indeed inevitable in history. For the convenience of discussion, let’s call this change the discovery and confirmation of  “new youth politics.”

After WWII, it can be seen in all democratic countries that a wave of new youth political movements arises every few generations. Although each was driven by unique social and economic factors, the disparity in “world-views” (the future and their priorities) between generations was commonly found. In the 60s, the U.S. student movements for Black rights, free speech and anti-war views flourished in various subcultures, reflecting young rebels’ pursuit of self-worth and meaning. Despite the differences in political ideologies, the spirit was similar to those in the “May 68” movement in France and the Anpo Protest in Japan. 

In Taiwan, the youth have not been prominent in political movements. Although the Wild Lily Movement matched the time with the re-election of the National Assembly, and many social movements were aided by university student connections, the youth did not form a recognizable key force in the presidential election. 

In the 2018 Kaosiung mayoral election, Han Kuo-yu defeated Chen Chi-mai of the Democratic Progressive Party(DPP). Han gained much popularity, leading the Kuomintang (KMT) to win the overall election. Looking back, Han’s online campaigns might have been suspicious. But it is admittedly that the DDP deteriorated into gerontocracy as seen in their abstract and routine style of governing. It has given a Han a golden opportunity to attract young voters who wanted change.

However, it was ironic that Han revealed his gerontocratic side once he was elected. Meanwhile, President Tsai had drawn closer to young people with the same-sex marriage bill. Adding on the generational confrontation sparked by the Anti-Extradition Movement in Hong Kong, Han’s reputation plummeted to the place of no return.  

The “new youth politics” consists of several notions. First, it advocates certain virtues, most young people despise hypocrisy or patriarchal undertones in politicians. Second, young people are highly sensitive to bio-politics, they hope that everyone can have the right to be themselves, regardless of skin color, race and gender identity. Besides, they are highly sensitive to symbolism and have strong aesthetic preferences, favoring modernism over the seemingly colorful yet empty “Taiwan aesthetics”. 

Therefore, when youngsters rose against Han, their means of advocacy were unsurprisingly inventive (such as pressure washing the floor or projection on buildings). The creativity and subtle irony were important in the politicization of young people, just like the combination of umbrellas and gas masks seen in the Hong Kong movement. 

New youth politics is now influential around the world. The New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was only 36 when the Labour Party she led won the 2017 general election. Finland Prime Minister Sanna Marin was only 34 when she became the youngest state leader. President of France Emmanuel Macron stood out for his age (then 39) and the imaginative new party he created, "The Republic Forward!" (La République En Marche!).

The politicization of Taiwanese youths started after the Death of Hung Chung-chiu and the 318 Student Movement. Through the Internet and social media, they formed a massive force that carried Han Kuo-yu briefly before throwing him to the ground. Nonetheless, the ruling DPP did not fully accept this trend after they won. The inauguration of a doddering cabinet on May 20 brought future worries. Fortunately, the beauty of democracy is that there is always a chance to restore orders. This is the unique, though bitter, gift Taiwan was given among the greater Chinese society.

The Recall of Han Kuo-yu and New Youth Politics (Chan Wei Hsiung)

On May 28, the National People's Congress passed the draft of the National Security Law for Hong Kong. U.S. President Donald Trump immediately held a press conference on the following day, condemning the enactment of the law. He stated that procedures have been started to revoke Hong Kong's special status with limited exceptions. President Trump also stated that the World Health Organization (WHO) did not carry out reforms as requested, thus the relationship between the WHO and the U.S. will be terminated. He said that the world needs answers from China on the virus. 

Till now, the Wuhan virus has caused over a hundred and seven thousands deaths in the U.S., which is more than the casualties of the U.S. army in the Vietnam War and Korean War combined. And the U.S. economy is heavily impacted. The CCP really should not underestimate the U.S.' repercussions. The U.S. presidential election is approaching soon. Trump stated on April 29 that China will do everything to make him lose, claiming that Beijing favors Biden, as that will lower the tension of the US-China trade war. 

How will the US-China relations be in the future? How will the two interact in the “New Cold War" era? We can have a glimpse of U.S.’ tactics towards China in the "United States Strategic Approach to The People's Republic of China" released on May 20 by the White House. 

The White House clearly stated in the report that China "violated their commitment in trading and investing, freedom of speech and freedom of belief and religion, political interference, freedoms of air and flight, internet and other types of espionage and theft, military expansion, environmental protection, and global health.”

Washington To Take Competitive Approach

The high level of autonomy and systems remain unchanged for 50 years in Hong Kong , as promised by China in 1984, is now just another example of China's dishonesty, which was foretold back in 2017. On June 30, 2017, 20 years after the Handover, the then spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Lu Kang declared the Sino-British Joint Declaration is a “historical document” with “no realistic meanings.” 

The Sino-British Joint Declaration was not the first treaty that China has openly violated. In 1951, China and Tibet signed the Seventeen Point Agreement and promised that the political system of Tibet will remain unchanged. But in 1959, China violently massacred Tibetans, and the Dalai Lama was exiled overseas till now. 

The revoke of Hong Kong's special status will change all arrangements regarding US-HK relationship, including extradition and technology export restrictions. The U.S. Department of State will also alter the travel alert level to Hong Kong. The sanctions the U.S. imposed on Hong Kong will bring unforeseeable negative impacts. 

Other than the Hong Kong issue, US-China is still related in military, economy and political aspects. The report mentioned that the U.S. will continue to urge China to put on desk for negotiations issues related to military equipment controls and strategic risks, and to increase Beijing’s transparency to avoid any misjudgments. For that, the U.S. military department is willing to engage with China for better communication. 

The report stated that the U.S. hoped that with bilateral exchange, China would become more open. However, Beijing’s reform has slowed down or even gone backwards, which in turns bring challenges to the U.S.' economy, security and values. The U.S. will have to adopt a more competitive approach towards China to secure the peace and prosperity of the U.S.. Beijing made several empty promises regarding government lead industrial espionage, they signed multiple international intellectual property agreements, yet still, more than 63% of counterfeit goods came from China. Hence, the U.S. imposed the tariffs on Chinese products. After 18 months of negotiation, the U.S. and China signed the first phase of trade deals on Jan 15 this year. However in the recent report, the U.S. stated that unless they have reached a fair and mutual agreement in phase two, the tariffs will not be lifted.

U.S. underestimated China’s desire to control

The report stated that the U.S. will not comply with Beijing's request in creating an appropriate “atmosphere” or “condition” for communication. The U.S. considers “symbolism” and “pageantry” are of no value, instead, they demand “tangible results” and “constructive outcomes”. As “quiet diplomacy” proves futile, the U.S. will increase public pressure on China. That is why Trump stayed high profile while negotiating trade deals with Beijing; and Vice President Pence and Secretary of State Pompeo also  publicly condemned China’s threat and showed support to Taiwan. They hope these public pressures can force China to be more committed to keeping promises. 

Since 1979, the development of the US-China relationship has been rough. The report stated that the U.S. hopes that China will become a responsible global stakeholder. Yet, they clearly underestimated CCP’s desire to control and restrict China’s economic and political reforms. Regardless, the U.S. is still willing to maintain “constructive" engagement and cooperation with China if interests align, in a “respectful yet clear-eyed manner”, so as to challenge Beijing to uphold its commitments.

(Joanne Chang, Adjunct Research Fellow of Institute of European and American Studies, Academia Sinica)

U.S. to Challenge Beijing In Clear-eyed Manner (Joanne Chang)

Few days ago, the Apple Daily talked about my friend, Wang Pu. Now that Hong Kong is dying, even a female writer can hardly sit still.

Wang and I have both experienced the Cultural Revolution and Down to the Countryside Movement. She was born in Hong Kong, whose father was a well-known journalist in Hong Kong. Her father was patriotic. He took his family to the mainland shortly after the CCP was in power. In 1957, they were listed as in the Right-wing spectrum and were exiled to northeast China. And Wang pu grew up in the land of ice and snow.

After Wang came back to Hong Kong, She first worked as an editor for a newspaper, and later taught in the Department of Chinese at Lingnan University. She continued on literary writing after she resigned. And in recent times, her editorials are known to netizens.

The Wang I know, has always tried to stay away from politics, while her passion for literature is similar to piety. Her recent articles concerning the fate of Hong Kong were written based on her conscience and common sense. Hong Kong is falling. She could not bear it and is loath to the situation. She could only express her anger and sadness with writings.

Our same generation, the several hundred thousands who moved to Hong Kong after the Cultural Revolution, have earned a living and settled in this city. Some became rich and some live a normal life. We were fairly accepted by Hong Kong and could live a life and achieve our goals here. Our kids accepted higher education, and earned professional qualifications. They are living in this blessed land, Hong Kong, striving hard for their families.

Hong Kong nurtured us. We should love, cherish and protect this city. This is the same wish we all have— Wang, me, our old schoolmates and old friends.

Unfortunately, among us, there are people who stayed in Hong Kong for 30 to 40 years, and still do not understand the good things about Hong Kong and how lucky they all are. They never take their own experience, to compare and see the pros and cons of the systems in Hong Kong and in the mainland. They enjoyed the advantages of Hong Kong and now trample the place, and still feel righteous.

When Hong Kong is in crisis, they hocus themselves with patriotism and love towards the CCP. They are desperate to have the CCP take over Hong Kong, as if that is the only way they can find peace in their souls. They immersed themselves in lies of the CCP for decades, and can no longer see the truths.

I have nothing to say to those old schoolmates. Wang said, we lived so long and should be old and wise enough. Who could save those dotards who work so hard to destroy the land for their offsprings? Some of their children are on the yellow side (pro-democracy camp). Why did their kids go against them? Is this a question that is worth thinking about?

(Ngan Sun Au is a veteran publisher and writer. His publications and works are award-winning.)

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Start from my friend, Wang Pu (Ngan Shun Kau)

Consecutively for the past 30 years since 1990, Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China (the “Alliance”) hosted candlelight vigil every year at Victoria Park in the evening of June 4 for all to express condolences to the Chinese citizens who were killed by the CCP during the Tiananmen massacre in 1989. Hong Kong people do not want to remember, but dare not forget, this brutal tragedy which shocked the entire humanity. Milan Kundera mentioned his “The Book of Laughter and Forgetting” that “the struggle of man against power is the struggle of memory against forgetting.” I am confident to say that Hong Kong people have consistently passed this test and won the struggle. This year, which is the 31st anniversary of the June 4 Massacre, amidst Hong Kong police forewarning that it will crack down any public gathering in any place of Hong Kong for its alleged purpose to control coronavirus pandemic, Hong Kong people were calm, brave and fearless. Tens of thousands arrived at Victoria Park, pushed down all entrance barriers, occupied six football fields as usual, sat down, ignited candles, and attended the online candlelight vigil hosted by the Alliance on site. Many other people attended community-based candlelight vigils in around 20 other places all over Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. Such a lineup is unprecedented. Overall, all activities were peaceful and non-violent. At the exit of the Victoria Park, Hong Kong police repeatedly played pre-recorded tracks saying that all participants could be punishable due to the so-called unlawful assembly. Anyway, they produced no deterrent effect at all. What is more sparkling are the slogans having been chanted by the participants in Victoria Park and all over Hong Kong. These slogans are no longer limited to those five operational goals firmly held by the Alliance in the past 30 years, i.e. to release the dissidents, rehabilitate the 1989 pro-democracy movement, demand accountability of the June 4 Massacre, end one-party dictatorship, build a democratic China. After the one-year pro-freedom or democracy movement in Hong Kong ever since 9 June, 2019, Hong Kong people have evolved to become stronger in our spirit and pursuit to strive for freedom, democracy, self-identity and autonomy. We regard the CCP totalitarian regime as the common culprit against those who were killed, wounded, tortured or jailed in both 1989 Beijing and 2019-20 Hong Kong. More and more Hong Kong people are determined that they can no longer stand with the CCP regime, and more fundamentally cannot stand with China. That night, when I walked all the way through the six football fields in Victoria Park, one after the other; I could consistently hear nearly two-thirds of the participants chanting new slogans, including “One nation, one Hong Kong”, “Five demands, not one less”, “Free Hong Kong, Revolution now”, “Hong Kong independence, only way out”…etc. I noticed that those who chanted these slogans were not limited to youngsters. Many of these slogans were initiated by middle-aged and old people on site. This is really a sea change! What is more amazing is that such pro-independence supporters, on one hand, and those who regard their self-identity as Chinese nationals (e.g. Alliance members), on the other hand, did not enter into confrontation or quarrel with each other. When the Alliance called upon observing a minute of silence in tribute at 8:09pm, everybody followed without exception. In other words, each side regards the other side as integral to the united front against the CCP regime and as comrades to strive for an autonomous, democratic and free Hong Kong, as well as demanding truth, compensation and accountability for the 1989 Tiananmen massacre. This is actually a remarkable and positive development which is different from any candlelight vigil in the past 30 years. Going forward, I would expect that, if the candlelight vigil can ever be held again in Hong Kong in the near future, such a new, hybrid and harmonious mode of candlelight vigil starting from this year might become a new normal. But will the candlelight vigil this year be the last one? Will it still be legally permissible in the coming years? Well, these are actually two different questions. As the promulgation of the Hong Kong national security law is nearing (likely before the end of June), such a candlelight vigil can possibly be regarded as “provoking subversion” of the CCP regime and vulnerable to being cracked down after such an evil law becomes effective. Overall, CCP’s evilness and brutality to wipe out any gathering or activity, which could undermine its legitimacy and positive image, should not be underestimated. That being said, resilience and perseverance of Hong Kong people to host and participate in candlelight vigils in the future years should also not be discounted. Hong Kong people are determined to stand up to defend our own dignity and human rights against CCP, and at the same time will not forget what had happened in Beijing on June 4, 1989. Winston Churchill said “success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm”; “you must put your head into the lion’s mouth if the performance is to be a success.” Hong Kong people resemble our spirits with these quotes. No matter how unlikely that candlelight vigil can still be legally permissible in the future, and no matter how enormous the hardship will be, I strongly believe that Hong Kong people will continue to host and participate in candlelight vigil every year going forward until the downfall of the CCP regime.

(Sang Pu, graduate of the University of Virginia with a degree of Master of Laws, is a political commentator and host of talk shows(including RFA) and qualified lawyer in Hong Kong, Taiwan and New York State. He has been writing on topics about Hong Kong, China, Taiwan , and international politics and economy at Apple Daily and other media since 2007.)

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