Anne - "In Hong Kong, I can say whatever I want out loud and not be afraid."
“A lot of people in mainland China hold the opinion that Hongkongers are spoiled. But I would say that Hongkongers have tasted freedom, and to take that away from us is just ruthless.”
I recently hosted a free art therapy event for Hongkongers, after I did a session myself and discovered how much negative energy I had harboured. The art session helped release a lot of 'heaviness' inside me, and I thought, the current atmosphere in Hong Kong is so intense - everyone needs a break to regroup and recharge. The battle ahead of us is very long. We need to rest, or else we won’t think rationally.
The art therapy session ran smoothly, and the vibe was really relaxing. Nobody talked about the protests during the event, but a lot of artwork was directly related to it without any prompts or inspiration from me. For instance, some people made art pieces inspired by the girl who lost her vision in one eye (note: a girl was shot in the eye with a bean bag round on 12 Aug). I wasn’t surprised - it was an inevitable topic. The protests are on many people’s minds. If you’re not talking about it, you are actively avoiding the topic.
But I was not as happy with the art event as I could have been. Most people who came weren’t the Cantonese locals - most weren’t even frontliners. It makes me feel like I’m not a part of Hong Kong, like I’m out of touch with the local community. My Chinese isn’t that good. Even though I’m ethnically Chinese, there are a lot of posters I can't read, which is crazy. I’ll say that the movement has done such a great job in translating and getting information out to the audience overseas, but the exact sentiment is often lost in translation. At the same time, there isn’t much point feeling too excluded - we’re in too deep for that now.
I feel so heartbroken for Hong Kong, because China is basically forcing the regression of an enlightened civilisation, putting Hong Kong back 'into the dark'. A lot of people in mainland China, where I regularly visit for work, hold the opinion that Hongkongers are spoiled. But I would say that Hongkongers have tasted freedom, and to take that away from us is just ruthless.
But what is freedom? An obvious sign is that, if I thought 'the CCP is not good' when I’m in mainland China, I’d immediately think that I shouldn't say it aloud, or else I may disappear forever. When you ask mainlanders certain theoretical questions in politics, it’s as if they don’t know how to answer your questions. Most of all, they just don’t realise that they’re scared. In Hong Kong, I can say whatever I want out loud and not be afraid.
For my next art therapy session, I really want to target those who are more active in protests. Hopefully, next time around, I can attract more people from the local community, and I can reach those who need this sort of break the most.
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Journalist: Ka Yan
Graphic: Nora The Cat