Do not forget those unwavering still behind bars
Translated by BeWaterHK August 27, 2022
“It was fortunate that I was not charged under the National Security Law (NSL). Those after me being charged NSL offences faced minimum jail terms of years.”
“I want to remind all of us that we must not forget. There are unwavering comrades still behind bars.”
“Hong Kong has changed and silenced. This is certainly not what I want to see. The fewer people speaking up, the less safe for the outspoken. In view of this, we all should try to keep voicing out.”
“I won’t regret taking the difficult way. This is also a life experience.”
Kim HAU Wing-Yan, former owner of Ascohension Cheese Tea, was released from prison at the end of July. She was found guilty of incitement by boycotting COVID vaccination and the Hong Kong government LeaveHomeSafe app. She was sentenced to seven months of imprisonment.
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In late February 2022 the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force arrested Kim HAU Wing-Yan and LAM Yuen-Yee, two owners of Ascohension Cheese Tea in Mong Kok. The charges were inciting others not to use the LeaveHomeSafe app and not to have COVID vaccination. Both were detained since being arrested. At the end of June, Kim HAU pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven months in prison. After a month of “bona fide” imprisonment, Kim finished serving her term. “Now that the use of the LeaveHomeSafe app is compulsory, when I left prison, I did not know how to use it. Another change is that I can now take a train from Admiralty to Sha Tin (via Sha Tin to Central Link).”
Though her imprisonment was just over half a year, after release Kim noticed many changes. She also has a lot of urgent matters at hand: the closed down Ascohension Cheese Tea shop still has a few contracts that require termination; merchandises in stock need to be cleared; she changed her phone number and so has to update her details with the banks; she is about to resume her suspended study. “I have to rush to register my enrolment. All these need to be done first, then I can have a fresh start.”
In the mean time she also signed up an Instagram account and started posting. “Released inmates have things to say.” She shares her first person experiences of being arrested and imprisoned, and what family members and friends can assist with and should beware of. “We really have to be cautious about what we say. P.S. I have been reformed. I thank National Security Department for teaching me the truth of life!” This is what she wrote in one of her posts.
In Hong Kong nowadays, frankly the safest way is to stay silent. Most of those, who participated in the 2019 social movements, were arrested and/or detained, will choose to lie low. This is without doubt a reasonable choice. However, Kim chooses another path – (in her words) try to continue to speak up in a “smarter” way.
“Maybe they did not like what I previously said. I might have some ideas but cannot say directly. Well then I will try an alternative way to tell.”
In fact Kim has always been taking an alternative route.
It was previously reported that Kim, when being sentenced, was in her sixth year with Biomedical Engineering in Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). All her classmates in the same cohort have now graduated and many have found a job in government hospitals, “handling medical equipments, pacemakers, prosthesis and the like”. In 2020, Kim chose to suspend her study and opened Ascohension Cheese Tea, then got arrested and went to jail. She now wants to resume her study in the next academic year but will have to face a disciplinary hearing. “The university has the power to terminate my study. I hope this won’t happen.”
Even if she can graduate eventually, she still will face a lot of uncertainties. The government will not hire anyone convicted and Kim would not want to work for the government either. To leave becomes a natural alternative.
Kim’s family members also advise her to leave Hong Kong to study overseas and then find a job there. “Basically my mum tells me every day, ‘do not say the wrong things anymore. Leave if there is no hope. There is no way you can win this fight.’”
“I agree that I cannot win. However, I really want to say what I want to say though the room to speak up is limited.”
When asked why she would stay, Kim just lightly said that she was born and bred here. If she leaves Hong Kong, she would find it hard to move on. “I will not be able to not think about Hong Kong.” So she chooses to try other approaches. “There are many self run media and these are also channels to voice out. They do what they can in a confined space.”
Kim left Lo Wu Correctional Institution on 27 July. On 30 July she shared her first post on Instagram. It reads:
“I am a master dreamer. I have many things I want to do, much to learn. I wish to do more for this society…For example: create a comedy page to boost the happiness index of Hong Kong; or become a foodie and focus on small conscientious shops …
There are still a lot of friends in there. Can we do one thing for them? Don’t forget our original intention, abide by our conscience and continue to be ourselves in whatever room we have.”
Nowadays in Hong Kong, abiding by conscience will make life difficult for sure. Kim also knows there are a lot of restrictions and thus she always has to be cautious. “I won’t regret taking the difficult way. This is also a life experience,” concluded Kim.
P.S.
During the interview, a friend of Kim’s accompanied her all the time. Occasionally she tapped Kim’s shoulder reminding her not to say certain things, or how it should be phrased. “I too want to tell her not to say, just on the safe side. But she won’t listen,” said Kim’s friend.
Kim has her worries too. She asked her lawyer what she needs to beware of. She also knows there are a lot she cannot say or say explicitly. It is in fact very hard to get the balance right.
I asked, “Do you support Kim?”
“It’s okay as long as this is what she wants,” Kim’s friend said.
“I will take care,” Kim interjected, smiling.
Source: ReNews, 10 August 2022