Hong Kong activist Ray Wong (黃台仰), who is visiting Taiwan to seek allies for Hong Kong’s independence movement, yesterday urged Taiwan to connect with people suppressed by China and to not to give up the goal of independence, despite the relative freedom the nation enjoys.
“Although Taiwan is the freest and most democratic Chinese-speaking nation, it cannot afford to be complacent about its status amid China’s threats, which could cause Taiwan to fall under [China’s] authoritarian rule,” Wong told a news conference in Taipei organized by the pro-independence Taiwan Radical Wings party.
Wong, a spokesman of pro-independence group Hong Kong Indigenous who is facing charges over his involvement in the territory’s “fishball revolution” in February, could become the Hong Kong independence movement’s first prisoner if convicted.
Photo: Huang Yao-cheng, Taipei Times
Over the past two weeks, Wong has visited Taiwanese independence advocates Su Beng (史明) and Chang Tsan-hung (張燦鍙) and held talks with pro-independence groups.
Taiwan, despite its relatively independent status, is in the same boat as Hong Kong, Tibet, Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia, which are subject to China’s suppression, and it is critical to form an alliance against the Chinese threat, Wong said.
“Hong Kong is a good example for Taiwan. If Taiwan cannot stand firm against China, it might not escape China’s claws,” he said.
Although Beijing promised a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong under the “one country, two systems” framework, the territory has seen dramatic changes under China’s governance, which gave rise to pro-localization protests, including the “Umbrella movement” in 2014 and this year’s “fishball revolution,” he said.
Wong and fellow activist Edward Leung (梁天琦) founded Hong Kong Indigenous to promote Hong Kong’s independence and organize protests following the “Umbrella movement” and a campaign opposing China’s school curriculum revisions — protests that, according to Wong, failed because they were too peaceful.
“It is impossible to seek freedom in the established system, because China has deprived Hong Kong of political autonomy. Freedom cannot be attained without Hong Kong being separated from China,” he said.
“There is not much time left [before the ‘one country, two systems’ framework expires in 2047]. We can no longer count on peaceful protest,” he said.
More than 40 percent of young people in Hong Kong support independence, suggesting that it is not a dream, he added.
The oppression of people in Hong Kong by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) resembles the persecution of Taiwanese under the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) regime, with the KMT and CCP having teamed up to suppress Taiwan’s democracy, World United Formosans for Independence chairman Chen Nan-tien (陳南天) said.
Taiwan and Hong Kong are in pursuit of the universal values of freedom, democracy and fair elections, and increased interaction between activists from both sides is necessary for independence movements to gather momentum, Chen said.
Taiwan Radical Wings Taipei office convener Ho Chen-hui (何澄輝) said Wong and his generation have shown great courage in the pursuit of democracy, despite Beijing’s military threats.
Asked whether Wong would approach the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) or government officials, Ho said that there was no such plan so far, but added that the DPP did not try to pressure Wong or avoid him, which has been unlike the KMT’s treatment of independence activists.
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old