[Special] Taiwanese students living in HK under National Security Law - some got back to Taiwan, some stay.
Translated by Guardians of Hong Kong – September 13, 2021
In the past ten years, many Taiwanese further their post-secondary education and stay for career development in Hong Kong which has comparatively more international exposure than studying in Taiwan.
This year, among the many crying and hugging scenes in the Hong Kong International Airport, there were some Taiwanese friends. Wing-Yan (pseudonym), a Taiwanese who completed her bachelor degree in the University of Hong Kong (HKU) and stayed for 7 years, left Hong Kong in Aug 2021 and returned to Taiwan.
Since 2019, due to the tense relationship between Hong Kong (as part of PRC, People’s Republic of China) and Taiwan, all diplomatic representatives from Taiwan left Hong Kong.
Out of the thirty Taiwan students who graduated in HKU one year earlier than Wing-Yan and those who stayed in Hong Kong for career, only two are still here. On the other hand, Ka-Lai (pseudonym) having similar background decides to stay in Hong Kong under this critical time, to be together with Hongkongers. What are the reasons for the different choices between Wing-Yan and Ka-Lai?
After the handover of sovereignty of Hong Kong, especially when MA Ying-Jeou became Taiwan President in 2008, there was a honey-moon period. At that time, there were frequent mutual visits between Hong Kong and Taiwan. Many local universities and colleges proactively recruit Taiwanese students by offering attractive scholarships of several million dollars. In 2014, over a hundred Taiwanese students were recruited by Hong Kong’s universities. Wing-Yan was one of them.
Wing-Yan recalled that many elite students in Taiwan preferred to further their post-secondary studies in Hong Kong to broaden their international exposure. She was one of them. With innocence and expectations she came to Hong Kong in 2014 and began her school life in Pokfulam.
However, the honey-moon period didn’t last long.
The outbreak of Anti-Extradition-Law-Amendment-Bill (Anti-ELAB) had a great impact on Taiwanese students in Hong Kong. In 2019, Wing-Yan had graduated for a year and was working in an international company. She considered herself a Hongkonger since she watched the event of umbrella protest when she first came to Hong Kong in 2014. “I was angry when this place was treated unfairly.”
Some Taiwanese in Hong Kong even joined the Anti-ELAB protests. At the same time, Wing-Yan felt that the future of Taiwan was gradually being affected by PRC. Before the National Security Law (NSL) took effect in Hong Kong, Taiwan introduced a “Save Hong Kong scheme”. This act was responded with severe condemnation from PRC. In May 2021 Hong Kong government, following the tone of PRC, shut down the Hong Kong office in Taiwan. It also forced all staff of Taiwanese representative office in Hong Kong to sign a “one China” declaration. As a result all Taiwanese officers left Hong Kong in July 2021.
“Unable to save” was Wing-Yan’s comment about the future of this city after NSL took place.
As for Ka-Lai, both the impacts of deteriorated relationship between Hong Kong and Taiwan, and NSL are great to her.
Ka-Lai can speak fluent Cantonese. When she was studying in a Taiwan university, she initially knew Hong Kong from novels by TUNG Kai-cheung and a documentary film about the movement in preserving Tsoi Yuen Tsuen, accumulating her interests toward this city. A few years ago, she came to Hong Kong for master degree study, and worked in an NGO after graduation, paying attention to various social topics and especially human right issues worldwide. Her Cantonese gradually improved during these few years in Hong Kong.
She never thought of returning to Taiwan as Hong Kong has special a position in the eyes of NGO in Asia Pacific. Making proposals and doing research are easier here.
However, after NSL, the police take a stern stance towards all street-stands bearing sensitive social topics. Taking video recording and recording identity card numbers are their common approach. The police even issue expiations for violating social gathering ban (imposed due to the pandemic). Ka-Lai knew she could not bear such risks. When she saw policemen from afar she would disengage the street-stand she was running.
Social instability and worsened political environment is a wake up call for all Taiwanese in Hong Kong and many thought of leaving the city. In the past two years, many Taiwanese graduates in Hong Kong returned to Taiwan gradually. Wing also resigned from her current job in May this year, planning to leave. The foreign company she worked in also planned to move its headquarters to Singapore after the implementation of NSL.
For Wing-Yan, leaving is for her to manage her emotions better.
As a senior, she was supportive to students and graduates from Taiwan in Hong Kong. She felt frustrated when CUHK and PUHK were under siege. In 2020, freedom in Hong Kong got oppressed, Wing-Yan felt suffocated. Especially after NSL, Wing-Yan was depressed since she was too scared to discuss anything online about the movement in 2019. During the pandemic her company encouraged staff to work from home. So Wing-Yan chose to go back and work from Taiwan. Initially after she returned to Taiwan, she was frightened to see policemen holding a promotional event in Taipei Station. She then told herself, “It is okay. I’m in Taiwan now.”
Wing-Yan felt more relaxed in Taiwan as she was tired of living in Hong Kong. After 5 months of working from home she returned to Hong Kong in 2020. This time she pondered for a long time and decided to leave this depressed city. She returned to Taiwan in August and started a new job.
It was not an easy decision for Wing-Yan. She worried whether she could live in Taiwan like she did in Hong Kong. “Now that I know how to live in Hong Kong, I’m not sure how in Taiwan.”
For Ka-Lai, there is no way for her to initiate social work in Hong Kong anymore. After NSL, her parents persuaded her to resign and go home, “Hong Kong has already lost its advantage and freedom. Hong Kong is getting poor and becoming like PRC, why are you still staying?”
However, Ka-Lai decides to stay and apply for permanent residency instead. She feels she belongs to Hong Kong more than Taiwan. “I never feel like I am an outsider.”
Since last year, Hong Kong went backwards quickly in all aspects, many Hongkongers rushed to leave. Ka-Lai treasures this period instead. ”These 2 years are important. You see the squeezes and fierce changes. However if I could do something in these 2 years, I would like to try even with a bit of struggle. Such a period will never exist again. If I leave now, Hong Kong will be totally different when I come back. I’d rather stay even to watch how the city dies.”
Source: The Stand News #Aug20
Reporter: KWAN Kwun-kei
#NSL #ChinaTaiwan #TaiwaneseInHK