Hong Kong Security Law casts long shadowーNHK WORLD-JAPAN NEWS
lao Katung runs a ceramic class In the past like many young people he called for democracy in Hong Kong [Applause] When Lao was a high school student he took part in the umbrella movement which demanded the realization of democratic elections [Applause] In 2019 he also joined large-scale daily protests against the government calling for freedom and democracy Many people wanted to turn Hong Kong into a more fair and democratic place I went to the protest site if I had time sometimes even taking time off from work to participate [Music] Lao served as a coordinator with the police to prevent protesters from being injured [Applause] The demonstrator said they would withdraw so I told the police but the police ignored me They knocked me down and I was arrested [Music] I didn’t use violence and hurt no one I didn’t expect the result to be so severe Lao was charged with obstruction of official duties His lawyer told him he shouldn’t get any jail time based on precedents but he was ultimately imprisoned for 8 months After his release from jail four years ago he worked as an independent social worker providing psychological support to young people who like him have served time He writes to them and visits them in person But his activities were restricted [Music] In December last year he suddenly had his social worker qualification suspended He said he was just told without any detailed explanation [Music] I wanted to support people in a vulnerable position Having my qualification suspended seemed to tell me my dream had come to an end It was very painful Lao said that he is still called out by the police and he has started to be careful about his daily remarks and actions I lost a lot of things in Hong Kong and I’m still under many restrictions But there are many things I have gained from Hong Kong Hong Kong gave me all the values I believe in such as fairness and justice The current Hong Kong appears to be in the mist just like this weather But if you’re alive the time will come when you can see the light And now we go to NHK Hong Kong Bureau Chief Oda Makoto So Makoto what’s the atmosphere like these days there well I think the mood has changed significantly under the role This phrase was once full of people calling for freedom and democracy once as many as 2 million It was also called the capital of demonstrations a symbol of freedom of speech and assembly But there is no trace of that now You can see the Chinese national flag and a smaller Hong Kong district frag on display They were set up to commemorate the 28th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China on Tuesday Meanwhile the Chinese government stresses that it has regained stability with the enact enactment of the National Security What concerns people in Hong Kong is that the definition of the world is obscure and interpretation depends on the authorities Many citizens have gone silent quaring a crackdown and a tough Chinese style of governance They feel the pain of a society where people cannot feel freely say things It said that around 300,000 people have left Hong Kong and moved overseas in the past five years Makoto under these circumstances uh it must have taken courage for Lao to take part in her interviews Yes of course he chose his words carefully but he agreed to speak because he doesn’t want people to forget Hong forget about Hong Kong The difficult times continue One young person told me he wills despair now but added that times will change at some point The pride in the free and diverse value that created Hong Kong continue to re in the hearts of people here
Monday marked five years since Hong Kong’s Security Law came into effect, chilling pro-democracy efforts. We talk to a former protester and our correspondent there about the mood on the ground.
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