Southeast Asians in Hong Kong taking to the streets
V, a stand-up comedian born in the 80s and a protester, cannot forget the terrorist attack in Yuen Long, “We are resisting this evil legislation together; Hongkongers should not be differentiated by skin colour.”
Jimmy Sham, the Convenor of the pro-democracy organisation Civil Human Rights Front, was attacked by a gang of non-Chinese males, which added a hint of danger to the protest held in Kowloon on 20 Oct. Some were worried that Chungking Mansions and Kowloon Mosque where the ethnic minorities gather would be targeted. In fact, there are Hong Kong Southeast Asians who have joined the Anti-extradition Law Protests since mid-June, and are still terrified by the Yuen Long terrorist attack.
Would the protesters in Kowloon take Chungking Mansions and Mosque as their targets? Vivek Mahbubani, a 37-year-old Hong Kong Indian with the nickname V, said confidently, “Didn’t you read posts on LiHKG? People are all saying that they won’t ‘renovate’ (which means ‘damage’ among the protesters) them.”
V, born and raised in Hong Kong, is a comedian. He is a full-time stand-up comedian who usually performs in bars and theatres. Over these four months, he has always been reading the posts on LiHKG, and enjoyed bringing his mum to read the posters on Lennon Walls. “She doesn’t know Chinese. I explain the leaflets and posters to her. Before she retired, she taught English at Sacred Heart schools. She always says that children are the future of society and adults are responsible for fighting a better society for the next generation.”
Since mid-June, V has been participating in Anti-extradition Law Protests with his Southeast Asians friends, including the August 18 Protest, in which protesters entered and left the Victoria Park continuously. “It was raining. Everyone was holding an umbrella, standing for hours. In the evening, a post on LiHKG says that there should be a wrinkly skin competition because everyone got wrinkly feet standing in the pouring rain. Hey! I’ve got the wrinkly feet too!”
Protests connect Hongkongers, Hongkongers as a state of mind
After V graduating from City University, he worked as a website designer and started to perform stand-up comedies in 2010. The Protests which has lasted for four months have also affected his business: performances cancelled in September and October because of the protests and suspension of train services respectively. Yet, he won’t blame the protesters. “There are always many factors affecting a business. Will you blame the typhoon [when you are affected by it]?”
Some are upset by how society is divided, but V sees how society is in fact reconnected. He said, many Southeast Asians are watching news live before going to bed, and refuse to accept the Yuen Long terrorist attack, just like any other Hongkonger. Such solidarity is what makes Hong Kong lovely, “In the past, there won’t be people distributing boxes of water on the streets. Now, there are often people distributing water and yelling, ‘Take it. It’s free.’”
V said, everyone is involved in the Anti-extradition Law Protests, “Hongkongers is not a race, but an attitude and an ideology. How could you differentiate Hongkongers by skin colour?”
Security problems solved by Southeast Asians
Not everyone knows that Southeast Asians have always been part of the Protests. Yet, the attack targeting at Jimmy Sham aroused suspicion that the attackers are Southeast Asians. Sham, hospitalised, reminded protesters not to hate on those who are also under suppression. Even the Islamic Union of Hong Kong which speaks out once in a blue moon, published a statement, condemning the attack, stating that the Muslims stand with Hongkongers in their struggle for freedom.
It is never easy for ethnic minorities to live in Hong Kong. Yasir Naveed from Pakistan came to Hong Kong with his parents in 2005, and studied at Delia Memorial School like many ethnic minority students. They can hardly access the resources necessary for social mobility and cultivate a sense of belonging to Hong Kong.
Most of them only wanted to be a security guard or a delivery man. Among the secondary school graduates in his year, only two of his schoolmates were admitted into university.
Naveed failed the public exam and worked much harder than one could imagine. He eventually completed his Bachelor’s and Master's Degrees, and worked as an engineer after he graduated. He is working as a management consultant in the financial sector now. He has witnessed how Hong Kong Southeast Asians are discriminated by the system, and this is why he is so dissatisfied with MTR’s decision to hire Southeast Asians to deal with the conflicts in protests. He questions, “When was the last time MTR published English recruitment ads? When was the last time MTR hired Southeast Asian engineers or accountants? Over these 30 years, they won’t even hire Southeast Asians to hold the placard for ‘The train doors are closing’.”
So, political problems solved are by security guards; security problems are solved by Southeast Asians — how could you forgive this?
A call to not target at religion
Throughout the protests, most Southeast Asians have been sharing the ups and downs with Hongkongers. Naveed said the most unforgettable incident is the Yuen Long Terrorist Attack, “Anyone can go onto the trains or into private places to attack citizens randomly. There was no law enforcer. The government did not follow up on the attack. This was appalling.”
Naveed’s father is a social activist in Pakistan, who is concerned about human rights issues and the use of cruel and unusual punishments. Naveed understands Hong Kong protesters’ demands, and he would like to remind Hongkongers not to bring religion and race into the protests. For example, someone sprayed Quran quotes on the road during a protest. He finds this highly upsetting.
“When I see a Qur’an on the ground, I will put everything aside immediately to pick it up. I will also do it to the Bible or other religious books because I cannot tolerate the words of God, no matter which one you are referring to, to be trampled upon.”
The attack targeting Sham gave Naveed goosebumps. He said it is because Sham is one of the most resilient peaceful protesters, and he is also worried that Southeast Asians would be hated hereafter. Like most of the Hongkongers, he considers the government as the stakeholder that should shoulder most of the blame, criticizing Carrie Lam for her method of dealing with conflicts and protests with double standards, and refusing to communicate with citizens sincerely, “The protests are unlikely to stop if the government does not respond to citizens’ demands.”
Source: https://hk.lifestyle.appledaily.com/lifestyle/realtime/article/20191020/60167972