STORY: This year, Hong Kong activist Fu Tong will be in Taiwan to mark the 36th anniversary of Beijing’s Tiananmen Square crackdown.
:: July 3, 2020
He and his wife Elaine To were among the first demonstrators in Hong Kong to be charged with rioting in 2020 after pro-democracy and anti-China protests started the year before.
They started a new life in Taipei in 2022, but continue to fight for freedom and democracy while running a Muay Thai studio.
Although Fu told Reuters that his income and quality of life was better in Hong Kong, he values having the freedom to express himself:
“When Hong Kong can no longer hold the June 4 vigil, and can no longer even mention it, Taiwan’s existence becomes very important. It’s one of the very few places in Asia where people can openly commemorate the incident from June the 4th, discuss it, and even condemn the Chinese Communist Party. The existence of such a space is already hugely significant.”
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On June 4, 1989, Chinese tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square, crushing weeks of pro-democracy demonstrations by students and workers.
China has never provided a full death toll, but rights groups and witnesses say the figure could run into thousands.
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Public discussion of what happened is taboo in China, which blamed the protests on counter-revolutionaries seeking to overthrow the ruling Communist Party.
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In Hong Kong, a national security law has outlawed commemorative events, which previously drew tens of thousands of people.
Fu now co-hosts a Hong Kong human rights exhibition in Taipei, showcasing artwork and photos from the protest movement.
He leads guided tours of the displays, while also sharing some of his experiences from the frontlines of the Hong Kong protests.
Fu hopes his story will resonate with Taiwanese visitors who fear for their island as tensions with China continue to escalate.
“We have witnessed how our relatively free city can be completely silenced in just five years. Saying something anti-China or expressing views the government doesn’t like can get you arrested and detained, with no idea when your trial will happen or how long you might lose your freedom for. This is something we deeply fear, and it’s also something the people of Taiwan fear could potentially happen to them as well. This is where our shared values align. We truly hope that one day, Hong Kong can be like Taiwan, where there is universal suffrage. At the same time, people in Taiwan fear that one day their elections and freedoms, could all be lost one day, like in Hong Kong. The values we are all striving for and protecting are the same.”
One exhibition-goer said he was deeply moved by Fu’s tour:
“Freedom and democracy do not come easily. While listening to the tour just now, the guide choked up several times. I just think it’s incredibly suffocating to see a once free and democratic place turn into what it is now. I really hope this will never happen to Taiwan.”
Fu told Reuters that he remains committed to advocating Hong Kong issues and the values of freedom.
