Hold on to the land of the free, let every bit of light shine through

The changes to Hong Kong occurred in silence long ago.

On social media, a friend's display name changed again and again. All the photos were removed until their profiles are no longer recognisable. Petitions are signed anonymously for fear that Red Guards lie in wait. Old articles are deleted to avoid future accusations and punishment. Films and documentaries have become a landmine for freedom of press. Book publishers are left in a predicament as printing houses covertly produce books that distributors hesitate to carry. Bookstores controlled by Hong Kong Liaison Office definitely will not sell them. Those in media who criticised the government now face purges and critical danger. Teachers watch their mouths in class under Big Brother's looming eyes. Shops displaying protest art get evicted. Financiers are obligated to demonstrate prompt support for the government or lose their freedom to remain silent.

"One country, two systems" has become disfigured. The above injustices are not exhaustive. This is just the beginning of the end.

[They promised us] 50 years' no change but the 23rd year brought drastic changes. On 1 July 2020, the national security law was the last nail in the coffin for "one country, two systems". Powerful government organs were installed without checks and balances; they operate outside of Hong Kong's jurisdiction. The Chief Executive appointed judges specifically to hear cases on national security and decide on vaguely defined offences. Hongkongers' freedoms of association, speech and assembly, as well as their freedom from fear, stare down the barrel of the legislative gun.

Political parties quickly dissolved, the police force pledged their allegiance, another wave of émigrés spilt out and foreign sanctions began. No Hongkonger subject to this time and place can avoid being dragged in by this new Cold War.

In the book, The Power of the Powerless, the Czech playwright and former president Václav Havel recounted the story of a beer lover. Havel used to work at a brewery, under a supervisor who was passionate about the craft. He researched beer recipes and tried to convince his superiors to improve the beer-making process. However, they ignored his suggestions because the brewery was run by people with friendly ties to the authoritarian regime. They had no interest in beer-making at all. Havel's supervisor, then, went above his managers for help but was met with disaster. His supervisor was accused of political sabotage and was reassigned to a different unit.

Havel described that under totalitarianism, anyone could be labelled a "dissident" and no one would deliberately choose to be a "dissident". Merely being loyal to oneself can be considered overstepping the red line and warrant being treated as a second-class citizen.

In the past, the government censored information and lied to its citizens. A lie told a thousand times eventually becomes the truth. Today, those in power use more refined methods of manufacturing false information to keep people confused. At Stand News, we have one simple wish, which is to stay loyal to our profession by exploring the facts, continually improving, keeping authority figures in check and giving voice to those silenced as Hong Kong undergoes monumental changes.

Over the past year, Stand News was able to increase its manpower thanks to the support of our readers. We assigned more court journalists to run between the courts and prisoner transport vehicles so that the stories of protesters would not be forgotten. We hired more photojournalists and created a YouTube channel to augment our stories. We added live broadcasting and photography equipment to maintain signal stability. We focused on creating longer feature pieces and in-depth analyses of current politics and prominent individuals. We created a webpage devoted to the election and its latest updates. Recently, we created an English version [of our paper] to tell Hong Kong's story to the world.

We will hold fast to the land of the free and let every crevice flood with light.

The miracle of Hong Kong has always been due to its freedom; it is the difference between Hong Kong and mainland China. Sun yat-sen experienced peace, order and good government first hand in Hong Kong. After the Communist Party's victory, the literati fled to Hong Kong for its freedoms of speech and press. In the 1940s and 50s, Shanghainese tycoons withdrew their capital and headed for Hong Kong to rebuild their estates under its free trade and rule of law. Countless refugees traversed through danger to arrive at this small piece of land under Lion Rock; they lived on borrowed time, enjoying freedom from fear. Separated by a river, the jewel that is Hong Kong originates from its divergence from mainland China, from its invaluable freedom. It became an inextinguishable beacon of light perched on the edge of China.

To date, Hong Kong hangs on the precipice of danger. We willingly stand with Hongkongers through this difficult time to defend freedom. When our core values are undermined, it is every Hongkonger's responsibility to defend them at all costs.

May we all stand united, braving the enemies' fire*, living without regrets.

Stand News
1 July 2020

* "Braving the enemies' fire" comes from a line in China's national anthem, March of the Volunteers.

Source:
http://bitly.ws/aoQn