//Meanwhile, fellow panellist Dr. Bin Lin, an advocate for Hong Kong democracy and media commentator, said that universal suffrage was promised by Beijing when it took Hong Kong back from the United Kingdom in 1997, yet if the autocratic regime in mainland China does not change, Hong Kong will never be free.//
係個人層面，大家要摒棄過分強調融入社會嘅心態，更唔好抱持離開左，所以「香港無我嘅事」嘅諗法。筆者所提出嘅並非呼籲各位拒絕跟隨當地生活習慣，而係融入與保存港人身分之間取得較好平衡，思維模式都能夠緊貼香港。例如以筆者所身處嘅英國社會為例，本來就是一個對多元文化非常開放，加上以前身處歐盟時鼓勵人口free movement，但係社會價值都會認同尊重文化差異，生活同文化嘅細節上都會鼓勵culturally sensitive，因為英國係擁有非常多唔同種族嘅人口。係呢個背景下，在英港人只需留意唔好將香港普遍嘅處事態度或方式加於本地人身上，或者視自己高本地人一等對所有英國社會文化加諸鄙視，同時可以保留一啲個人生活習慣，自然文化上可以同在港港人有更多想通之處，即使離開都可以明白香港處境/文化——香港本身都係一個存在多元文化，中西文化相會嘅地方，唔會睇得多too hot to handle就唔係香港人㗎嘛，係咪。
Richmond resident, former Sing Tao editor on Hong Kong’s wanted list
Victor Ho was listed among two others on the Hong Kong Security Bureau’s wanted list.Photo submitted
A Richmond resident and former editor of a Chinese-language newspaper has been placed on the Hong Kong Security Bureau’s (HKSB) wanted list earlier this month.
Victor Ho was one of three activists placed on the list with the HKSB announcing in a news release that it “severely condemns” them for forming a “Hong Kong Parliament” overseas and subversion under the National Security Law.
The National Security Law was imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing in response to pro-democracy protests in 2019.
According to the Chinese government, people found to have fallen foul of the law “shall be sentenced to life imprisonment or fixed-term imprisonment” for a determined number of years.
HKSB made the announcement shortly after Ho and other activists joined a news conference in Toronto on July 27 to reveal the establishment of a committee for a Hong Kong “parliament in exile” that would go against Beijing’s crackdown on political freedom.
“On the basis of Article 37 of the National Security Law, Police shall spare no efforts in pursuing the cases in accordance with the law in order to bring the offenders to justice,” reads the HKSB news release.
“The Security Bureau appeals to the public to disassociate themselves from individuals contravening the Hong Kong National Security Law, and the illegal activities those individuals organized, so as to avoid bearing any unnecessary legal risks.”
However, Ho told the Richmond News that it was a surprise to find out he was wanted by the HKSB, although he is not too worried and actually wants to “thank” the security bureau for it.
“I never received any notifications directly by the Hong Kong government, but for them to put my name on that list means people in Hong Kong and internationally will know what we are doing,” said Ho.
He added that, because the city’s government has tight control of the media, it is difficult for many local publications to write anything related to democracy without punishment.
“The government basically volunteered themselves to announce that we are fighting for political democracy.”
Meanwhile, a group of Canadians with Hong Kong ties have written an open letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly to show their discontent regarding the Hong Kong government’s actions.
“It is appalling that a Canadian citizen exercising his freedom of expression and freedom of association in Canada, with his rights and freedom entrusted by our constitution, could be charged and wanted by a foreign government,” reads the letter.
Being on Hong Kong’s wanted list has “serious and unpredictable implications” for Ho and his family members, according to the aforementioned group’s spokespersons Bill Chu and Thekla Lit.
“While Victor is relatively safe in Canada, we are concerned for his safety were he to travel to countries that have extradition agreements with Hong Kong and China,” they said.
Canada suspended its extradition agreement with Hong Kong shortly after the National Security Law was put in place, which is a reassurance for the group.
However, members of the group find the incident alarming that Canadian citizens could land themselves on the Hong Kong government’s wanted list for exercising their freedom of expression.
Chu and Lit added that the “incident is a serious violation of democratic rights here in Canada, as others following Victor may similarly face persecution from the Hong Kong and Chinese government(s) for lawful expressions and actions in Canada.”
