A foreign powerhouse on Lamma Island. I speak out for my love of Hong Kong: Matthew Chapple [Part 2]

Last summer, the Hong Kong government announced a proposal to amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance. Matthew was furious. "If there's no freedom, life won't be good. It pissed me off." He woke up at 6am on 5 June and followed Chu's team to distribute pamphlets on the pier of Lamma Island, encouraging residents to join the 9 June demonstration. That was his first time handing out pamphlets on the street. He woke up early again on 12 June to take the ferry to Central and head straight to the Legislative Council. On the way there, he saw many youngsters digging bricks out of the pedestrian path. The atmosphere was so tense that you could cut it with a knife. He grew anxious and persuaded them to stop. "For two hours, I kept telling them not to do these things. I was really afraid that they'd arrested by the police." Matthew happened to have left the scene just as the first tear gas canister was shot at 3pm. He grew even more disillusioned with how the government and the police handled the situation. At the same time, he understood and empathised with the protesters.

Later at a press conference, Chief Executive Carrie Lam refused to apologise for the abuse of force by the police on 12 June. To boot, she announced that the bill's second hearing would resume. That evening, a pissed off Matthew rushed to the Central Ferry Piers to give out pamphlets. For four hours, he utilised his broken Cantonese to call on the Hongkongers that passed by to participate in the 16 June demonstration. During that time, a blue ribbon [pro-establishment] supporter dumped a can of beer on his head. It left him feeling very unnerved but did nothing to diminish his resolve in the fight. "It's fine because 99% of the people support me! Many people gave me high fives and cheered me on. When I asked them if they were attending the rally, they said, 'Of course, see you tomorrow.' It was then that I knew that there would be a huge turnout. Hongkongers were really standing up this time. It was great!"

Maintaining flexibility in the face of totalitarianism

As the pandemic wreaked havoc, the frenzied street protests slowly cooled. Matthew stayed in the community. He continued to stimulate democratic thought and active participation in politics on Lamma Island as a part of Chu's team. In June last year and May this year, they held voter registration campaigns on Lamma Island. In that time, the number of registered voters jumped from 2000 to 3000. On 3-4 June, he and other volunteers prepared 1200 candles for a booth on the street. The purpose was to raise awareness and commemorate the Tiananmen Massacre. On the day of the pro-democracy primary elections in July, he and twenty-something other volunteers manned the polling stations. Despite his exhaustion at the end of the day, he felt a sense of pride for himself and his fellow Hongkongers. "The original target for Lamma Island was only 100 votes but 621 people cast their ballots. Hongkongers are amazing! And I was able to share and learn from them, and encourage more people to participate in politics. It seemed effective and it made me happy."

A day before the 23rd anniversary of the Handover, however, the much-rumoured National Security Law finally came into effect and sounded the death knell for democracy and freedom in Hong Kong. While everyone else froze in fear, Matthew went against the tide. In May, he started the Facebook page, "Lamma Matthew 南丫華哥". He regularly shared updates on the Lamma Island community as well as Hong Kong's current affairs to inspire Hongkongers to care about politics. He insisted on conveying his experiences and opinions in both English and [traditional] Chinese. His reasoning was that no matter if a Hongkonger knew Chinese or not, were born and raised in Hong Kong or came from abroad, they were still considered a Hongkonger. "I'm not concerned if my viewership is [local] Hongkonger or foreigner. As long as you're a Hongkonger, we're all facing the same problems and have to care about politics."

But isn't Matthew afraid? "Of course, I worry. It's getting worse every day." Even his father - in his 80s and living in Australia - could not bear the sight and implored him to return to Australia or keep a low profile: "Keep your voice down," to which [Matthew] steadfastly responded, "But I refuse." He said, "Many journalists asked me for an interview but I rejected them all. I understand the risks are increasing but the National Security Law just angered me further. At this crucial moment, I can't shut up. If I think something is wrong, I will say it." He sang a line from the March of the Volunteers [China's national anthem], "Arise, ye who refuse to be slaves! ... We have to rise. Stand up!"

Appreciating the reasons for staying from visiting concentration camps

Amidst the chaotic chess game of the powers, Hong Kong is but a pawn. The unpredictable and turbulent political climate has tossed Hongkongers around as they desperately looked for a way out. As for whether he plans on staying, Matthew - who has Australian citizenship - is unsure. All he can do is remain flexible. "I monitor the situation every day and take my own actions into account. Then, I consider what to post on Facebook."

What is for certain is that Matthew will not leave Hong Kong unless absolutely necessary. He spent his last summer vacation with his family on a World War II-themed train tour from Hong Kong to the UK. He saw many landmarks from the Nazi and communist regimes. When he visited the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland where more than a million were massacred, he realised two things. "The first is, I discovered that the Nazis were very similar to the [Chinese] Communist Party right now. Both are autocratic dictatorships, which is shocking. The second is, the Jews were already facing a deteriorating situation in the 30s and the concentration camps didn't appear in Poland until the 40s. So why did they stay in Germany and not escape? Were they stupid?"

Matthew's cloud of confusion dissipated when the tour guide answered simply, "It's because this was their home. Who wants to leave their home?" To stay or go, both pertain to an individual's freedom. He had inadvertently imposed his own opinions [on them]. The ones who stayed behind were definitely not idiots waiting to be slaughtered. "[Maybe] today you'll go to jail. Tomorrow might not be my turn but when will it be? No one knows. We're like the Jews back then. Who wants to leave their home?"

Part 1: https://telegra.ph/A-foreign-powerhouse-on-Lamma-Island-I-speak-out-for-my-love-of-Hong-Kong-Matthew-Chapple-Part-1-10-02

Source: Apple Daily
http://bitly.ws/9Rdi