Lewis Loud: Joshua Wong Is Patriotic. Not Surprised. But More Importantly…

Joshua Wong Is Patriotic. Not Surprised. But More Importantly…

Translated by Cesar Guarde-Paz, edited by Chen-t'ang, written by Lewis Loud [Originally written in January 2015]
Original: http://dadazim.com/journal/2015/01/drama/ 

Joshua Wong said that a revolution needs ammunition, and a “revolution” was different from the the sacred umbrella in their hands; afterwards, he joined the TV programme “Face to Face”, where he reiterated that he was patriotic or, otherwise, he would not go to Victoria Park’s candlelight vigil for June 4 Tian'anmen Massacre.

The whole picture can only be grasped when these remarks are taken all together. There were many slogans at Admiralty’s Occupy “Big Stage”. “Do not forget the original intention” is one of them. They prefer “Umbrella Movement” than “Umbrella Revolution”, and they say it’s because there was no ammunition. Again and again, they reiterate the importance of being patriotic. All of these are a hidden confession to the authorities of their true motive and position: We are not engaging in a revolution to overthrow this regime. It is just a crowd moving across the streets. We are patriotic. Beijing or our mother country, please don’t forget the “true intentions” that we Scholarism and the Hong Kong Federation of Students from the Pan-democracy Camp have. We do not actually wish to do anything!

 

What are the “real intentions” that should not be forgotten?
When they stormed into the Civic Square, even Joshua Wong himself could not have predicted that a movement by a small group of citizens would have been handled by tear gas, causing Hongkongers to take the roads for two months without reaching a mutually satisfying state in the end. Now that the movement is over and the low-pressure politics has been emerging, Joshua Wong, related the treatment he received in the police station to his future, naturally would not want the Communist Party to take him as the culprit of the disorderliness of the Occupy Central on September 28, of the in Hong Kong society, of the humiliation the Communist Party has suffered since then or of the turmoil among the factions in the Party.

“Don’t forget the original intentions” The original intentions of Benny Tai and others were to get arrested in October to achieve a greater, faster and better result, while the original intentions of Joshua Wong were to get arrested after a few people stormed into the Civic Square. But Hongkongers will not sit down waiting for their “leaders’” performance. When the tear gas was deployed, the situation became out of control, and the Hongkongers occupied everywhere, leaving Admiralty for Causeway Bay, Canton Road, and Mong Kok. The attitude in the “volunteers” and the “pickets” from Admiralty attempted to permeate these places, however, the mass stayed there against these people’s dismissal suggestion. That is when those from Admiralty started to utter things like “we need to remember the original intentions”. Or in translation, it means “we didn’t expect to go this far!”

 

Joshua Wong is a patriot. No need to be surprised. As for Joshua Wong’s self-declaration of patriotism, Ko Wai-yin, a columnist, also expressed her opposition. It doesn’t surprise me at all. Right at the beginning of the establishment of Scholarism, founders such as Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow stated in an interview by “iSunaffairs” that they have deep feelings towards China and the June 4 Massacre (See note 1).

It can be said that the members of Scholarism and that of the Hong Kong Federation of Students are fundamentally not different from the Greater Chinese democrats (the Labour Party, the Democratic Party, the Civic Party, the League of Social Democrats and so on) in terms of the attitudes towards China. In a party, you always find the shadow of another parties, and vice versa.

In 2011, Fred Lam stated his opposition against attacks to the Democratic Party. Joshua Wong supported him on Facebook. While Agnes Chow appeared in an anniversary dinner of the League of Social Democrats, a pro-Greater China party. This is their nature, and there is nothing to say about it.
Patriotism is the nature of the Scholarism and the Hong Kong Federation of Students, as well as the Pan-democrats. Therefore, it explained their hatred against the word “umbrella revolution” and their fear of the uncontrolled masses (in Mong Kok, Causeway Bay, Canton Road, and those who expect the updated means), which are their true patriotic intentions — Do not work against China. But when you get raped by it, remember to cry a little so as to show your “conscience” and “character”.

 

Do not anger the Communist Party!Everything goes back to the Associate Professor of Sociology at CUHK Chan Kin-man’s words on the reason to initiate the Occupy Central campaign: Ever since the political reform in 2011, the middlemen have stopped contacting them. Therefore, they engaged in the Occupy Central campaign wishing that Beijing would listen to their concerns (EJ Insight).

The “Big Stage”, the international journalists, the artworks, and many other demonstrations exist because the nature of this movement is a show. Precisely, it was a play for Beijing to see, somewhat hoping Beijing to take a step backward -- be it changing the original mindset for real or merely for saving face.

The so-called “original intentions” in them were like a helpless woman begging her father-in-law to take his orders back in ancient Chinese world. It was a mild persuasion, rather than a confrontation. The last thing that woman will do is to anger his father-in-law; similarly, the last thing these parties will do is to anger the Communist Party. It all makes sense then to see them against people’s idea, online or offline, to stop them from launching a protest or upgrading their means on the celebration of the Chinese “National Day” -- all of them work like a human chain preventing citizens from being out of control.

By understanding the patriotic stance of Scholarism and the Hong Kong Federation of Students -- do not anger the Communist Party -- it simply becomes clear to people as to why their actions are consistent. “Do not forget the original intentions” is after  all an empty slogan.

They termed it as “original intentions”. Reason being that they know how unacceptable it would be to many if they are being truthful as “let us all make a show under the premise of not angering the Communist Party”. It doesn’t sound good. So they keep shouting “Do not forget the original intentions”.

This slogan is in their favour. At least innocent citizens may have thought “original intentions” as some pure/truth-seeking measures without demanding for further explanations. Only their counterparts will know what it truly is.

After all the diligent work during these two years as a follow-up of Occupy Central, Chan Kin-man said with relief that after September 28, Hong Kong has come to understand “our city does not have the capital for a revolution.”

Correct me if I’m wrong. It sounds to me that he’s saying the whole point of Occupy Central was to inform Hongkongers how useless confrontation is.

Alex Chow, the former secretary general of Hong Kong Federation of Students, as well joined the escalation to prove how useless escalation can be. Same logic, same choice of word, they are both "moderate” pan-democrats, who have a tendency to surrender. The comments of Alex Chow, Chan Kin-man or Joshua Wong towards revolution are intertwined with each other -- unless you are one of them, whatever you do are wrong and useless.

 

You are just another Szeto Wah
After one Szeto Wah has finally passed away, a new Szeto Wah has been reincarnated in the figure of Joshua Wong. Voldemort are so powerful that, after death, it can divide the human soul into different parts. This is called human soul fragmentation, and thus his soul was separated into three political bodies: the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, the Hong Kong Professional Teachers Union, and the Democratic Party. Similarly, the also patriotic Long Hair Leung Kwok-hung is just another one. And the young Joshua Wong is also one of those patriotic folks defending the Chinese democracy front for the Chinese democratic movement. Everything they ever did, therefore, is to avoid making the Communist Party mad. Under this framework, all their actions are reasonable indeed.

Back in the day, Szeto Wah will repress the “three strikes”, namely the workers’, students’, and the shopkeepers’ strikes, after the June 4 Tian'anmen Massacre memorial, stopping Hong Kong from “losing control” and distancing himself from the “motherland”. Today’s Joshua Wong handled the abortions of the National Education protests and the Umbrella Revolution -- comparable to his predecessors.

Szeto Wah was secretly in deals with you-know-that regime and was maintaining the democratic movement and self-awareness in Hong Kong to a controllable extent. What Joshua Wong is doing now, added with his words and deeds, is not so different from Szeto Wah.

People like Szeto Wah and Joshua Wong are popular to the mainstream “audience”. With a great political energy, a strong fund raising ability, a great deal of blind yellow-ribbon fans, and also the endorsement of Jimmy Lai – they basically have what they want. In the following chapters of Hong Kong, if the situation remains this way, surely ”democracy” will take us another 30 years… without a guarantee of success for certain, if you know what I mean.

Sacrificing Hong Kong in the name of China had happened. Although in the new high school system, history is not a compulsory subject, if we are unfortunate enough, we might see Joshua Wong making history again… just like Szeto Wah  did in the past.

 

 

Note 1: Original text from the interview by “iSunaffairs”:
Joshua Wong said, “Why do I want a Tian'anmen Massacre vindication? It is because I long for democracy in China.” He believes that June 4 is just a checkpoint, and if the government refuses to admit it, China would not have achieved democracy. “There is still a bit of freedom of speech and freedom of association in Hong Kong. so when Hong Kong can still commemorate June 4, we should stand firm and from there fight for Hong Kong’s democracy and for China’s democracy.”

Some may feel that it has nothing to do with Hongkongers whether China has democracy or not, but Joshua Wong said, “First, you have to admit that you are Chinese, and since your life happens to be in this piece of China, anything that happens in China will eventually have an effect in Hong Kong. Thus, whether or not China has democracy will have an effect on Hong Kong’s possibilities for democracy. The June 4 vindication is an opportunity for Chinese democracy, so a peaceful June 4 is also important for every Hongkonger.”  

Lee Yee: Opportunities and Advice for Joshua Wong

Opportunities and Advice for Joshua Wong

Translated by Chen-t'ang 鎮棠, written by Lee Yee
Original: http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20160425/19585321 

(Joshua Wong on Demosisto's opening ceremony, from Delight Media Hong Kong)

Demosisto, established under the brand-name effect of Joshua Wong, has been bombarded by the media, pro-Beijing camp, mild pan-dems and radical localists, and we should have some reflections on such opinion. But what comes in to my mind was the speech by Andy Chui Chi-kin, the 48-year-old winner who defeated Christopher Chung in the 2015 District Council election. Chui said in the Umbrella Movement, he felt upset when he saw students protesting on the frontline for democracy, as well as the violence from the police forece. He felt that his political apathy before has caused the dire consequences now, and the buck should be on the shoulders of middle-aged people, as he felt "a strong sense of atonement". From atonement to reflection, his friends said many candidates walk over as no one contested in that constituency, so he started to challenge Chris Chung.

If Chui felt guilty for his political apathy before, then those democrats who supported "the reunification" shall feel more guilty. From the beginning of Sino-British negotiation, I opposed the handover, but from time to time, I felt uneasy when recalling that I cannot awake the public. Now, when we see youngsters stand out against the fall of Hong Kong, middle-aged and elderly people might not be able to take the bullet for the youngster, but at least do not fuel the fire. Youngsters will err, and will be naive and immature, but chances should be given to them. Shouldn't the adults feel guilty when Joshua Wong stood out against national education when he was only 14 or 15?

I can hardly criticize people who participate in political confrontation - be it mild or radical, or regardless of their errors. Because I am only writing, but not sacrificing as those participants who have stood out. Those who comment on politics should always doubt the authority, and be lenient to opposers.

Though I am lenient, I shall remind all participants - only modesty brings progress. Even if they are young, the mistakes made by Demosisto have aroused lots of critics, including promotion, setting up bank account, web domains, not to mention the "self-determination a decade later" in response to the future of Hong Kong. Joshua Wong thinks this is a PR disaster, and said the reason behind is "the requirement and standard from the public to a political party and its figures are so different from a student organisation" - meaning Scholarism was a student organization, so public's requirement and standard were lower; now Demosisto is a party, so the requirement and standard are higher now.

This is merely shifting the responsibility. In fact, Joshua Wong was impressive when he led the Anti-national-education campaign. The standard of the public was not higher, but only with the same expectation, or even lower standard would be acceptable. In fact, the performance was way worse than before. The fundamental problem is there is no foresight nor vision in the party, but rather circumventing the target as politicians do. As a "party of young people", it fails to tell the society how they want Hong Kong to be. When compared to the clarity of Edward Leung (Hong Kong Indigenous), the ambition of Andy Chan Ho-tin (Hong Kong National Party), Demosisto has showed that they are "old".

With years of social movement experience, Joshua Wong is no longer rookie. Experience and aura can be a person's capital and his liability, and the way to get rid of his liability is genuine, instead of oral, modesty. I left in the middle of the launch of Demosisto with Denise Ho and But Ming, because this is what I want them to know.

Chan Ya-ming: In Memorial of the Once-Innocent Joshua Wong

In Memorial of the Once-Innocent Joshua Wong

Translated by Samuel L., edited by Chen-t'ang 鎮棠, written by Chan Ya-ming
Original: http://www.passiontimes.hk/article/03-28-2015/22040/ 

As Eileen Chang (a renowned Chinese writer) once said,”it’s better to be famous early.” Eighteen-year-old Joshua Wong has already been ‘The World’s Top 10 Leader’ and ‘The Hundred Leading Global Thinker’ today. I yet miss the fifteen-year-old Joshua. His opposition to nationalist education at the age of fifteen has shocked everyone. While we were ashamed by his innocent appearance, he was our hope, he was, once, my hope as well...

Coming across his photo on Comment on the Apple Daily lately, I was shocked to recognise that such youngster is also getting ‘older’. He once made Yu Yi-wa, a pro-Beijing teacher, in total outrage at the City Forum, an RTHK live programme in Victoria Park. He once showed his political wit in bowing to instead of shaking hands with CY Leung. He once had an innocent and broad smile.

One may not like how he is right now, but one must like the fifteen-year-old Joshua. Instead of growing a lot in the past three years, he has actually become older. Social movements exhausted his time in studying and thinking. Depth of his thinking has almost been stagnant since fifteen years old. But as a leader in an organisation, the more people he met, the more evasive he handles, and the more cautious he speaks. After all, he actually becomes more sophisticated. Once becoming sophisticated, he gets older.

I clearly remember the day when I recognised that the innocent Joshua shall no longer return. It was the last siege of the government headquarter, the most tragic one. While friends and dissidents were beaten up to broken heads and blood, Joshua announced a hunger strike. Such a tragedy full of political calculation simply disgusted me, and it is a total insult to all protesters who shed their blood for democracy of Hong Kong.

I latterly heard him saying that he ‘still loves China’ during a televised interview. It is to me that he is getting more and more sophisticated, more and more close to a politician. I don’t reckon Joshua embracing a ‘cultural China’ as Tang Jun-yi does. I don’t reckon him being so lovesick to China as Ching Cheong is, let alone leading revolution in China as Yang Kuang did. His verbal love to China disturbed me. It is either he lacks critical thinking, or he is speaking to the Chinese communist.

These few months after the Umbrella Revolution, I have been imagining how democratic movement in Hong Kong will be under the leadership of Joshua Wong. I observed all actions of the Scholarism. It ends up only to be developing new medium, endearing Agnes Chow and styling Joshua Wong. ‘Scholarism’ turns to be a business. Focusing on marketing, it is only one step from listing. Do we really have nothing else to do in the past months here in Hong Kong? Where is Joshua when we still live in this world invaded by Individual Visit Scheme?

The answer is: sitting back at home and sharing violent videos of protesters in rehabilitation activities.

Joshua Wong is a saint is what I finally realise. A moral halo is fabricated by global media on him. Rehabilitations are simply too filthy for him, no matter they succeeded or not. He desires eternal social movements. Social movement is to become his prospect, politician is to become his forever occupation. Yesterday, such shameless Joshua Wong even said,’ lastly, I remember that the Fortune magazine was titled as  ‘The Death of Hong Kong’ in summer 1995, envisaging a huge regression of Hong Kong after the 1997 handover. But today, I can firmly tell the editors of the Fortune magazine that your judgements on Hong Kong were totally wrong. Hong Kong will never die, as Hongkongers will be the eventual victors.’

I dare ask Joshua, "In what ways shall we be the victor? Through hunger strike?"

It has already been half a year. Hongkongers are in utter failure. Instead of seeing any hope, I eliminate all hope constructed upon the projection of myself on the leaders’ pretences. A real rebel never deceives himself with hope. Hope is to be, or not to be. Such applies to roads on ground; For actually the earth had no roads to begin with, but when men pass one way, a road is made.