Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist: as a Hong Konger, there is no way to be happy

(09 May) A one-way plane ticket led Reuters' photographer, Tyrone Siu, back to Hong Kong at the end of May last year. He was originally stationed in Taiwan and planned to be in Hong Kong only to report on the annual candlelight vigil of the June 4th Tiananmen Square massacre. Instead, he stayed for almost a year and witnessed Hong Kong’s most chaotic days. He and the team at Reuters even won the Pulitzer Prize in the Breaking News Photography Award this year for their series on Hong Kong anti-extradition bill movement. He described his feeling of winning the prize as very complex. "As a journalist, it is a great honor to win the Pulitzer Prize. It may be what a lot of media workers aspire to achieve. But as a Hong Konger, being in the story, and knowing that many people have been injured in it, I can't say that I am happy about a movement that hurts us all.”

The unforgettable battleground at CUHK

CUHK is where Tyrone Siu earned his Master’s degree. Last year, in November, he had the unforgettable experience of witnessing his alma mater turning into a battleground right through his lenses. "It’s shocking. I saw a lot of students on campus. They all looked very young, and yet, they were making petrol bombs. Loaded wagons were wheeled to No.2 Bridge as barricades. At a place where such massive protests should not be happening, these students were ready to fend off the police. That night, the bridge was enveloped in choking smoke. “Everyone was crouching down while trying to capture the scene, if you stand erect, chances are, you will get shot.” Tyrone Siu was one of the few journalists who chose to hunker down at the frontline. “That night the riot police were shooting rubber bullets nonstop. You would hear bullets flying by every second. You would see someone getting injured and carried away every minute.” 

That night, an American colleague who had been a war correspondent in Afghanistan, was unfortunately injured. He was shot by rubber bullets on his upper left chest and was also shot by a water cannon truck. Tyrone Siu temporarily put aside his work and helped his colleague to the gym where he was treated. Tyrone was also shot in the shoulder while helping his colleague. “He couldn't stop crying. He told me he was scared, he didn’t know what to do. I stayed with him, held his hands, and hugged him a few times. I watched him called his family, told them he was shot by water cannon and that it hurt so badly.”

Shot by the water cannon left war correspondent terrified

Tyrone Siu was also at the Occupy movement back in 2014. He believed that the extent of the protest was relatively small when compared to the anti-extradition bill movement. The gears of the protesters have significantly increased last year. "The measures taken by the police during the Umbrella movement was still acceptable, nothing too excessive. During the anti-extradition movement though, I saw a lot of policemen who had acted violently during the operation. After they arrested the demonstrators, they would use excessive and indiscriminate force against them”

Excessive force was used by police during anti-extradition movement 

As the only Hongkonger in the team, taking care of foreign colleagues is one of the jobs of Tyrone Siu. “I have to make sure that they are safe, even if that means I wouldn’t be able to shoot any photo.” He would also bring his colleagues to the site before the demonstrations to familiarize themselves with the area. Pointed out to them which spots are prone to clashes and what precautions to take. He was also responsible for taking care of every aspect of their daily lives, from food to transportation to accommodation. There was no day off during the months of protests. It was not until the end of November when the PolyU clashes finally came to an end, did he officially started his vacation. Next month marks the first anniversary of the anti-extradition bill movement, Tyrone Siu believes that the demonstrations will continue. He will also stay in Hong Kong to do his job and continue to witness the history through his lens.

Sources: Ming Pao

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