Zhao Sheng (a pseudonym), a former official of the Hong Kong Correctional Services Department, was sidelined by his superiors with different political stances for participating in the “anti-China” movement in June 2019, and even retaliated with an emergency transfer to the outlying islands. Faced with the deteriorating rule of law and human rights in Hong Kong, he had no choice but to leave his family and emigrate to the United States.
Hong Kong law enforcement mainlandization, forced to leave
Zhao Sheng said, “The General Supervisory Committee shouted that the protesters were trash, thugs, cockroaches (cockroaches), and that being beaten by the police was resisting death.” Most of the Correctional Services Department employees with different political stances also dare not speak out in anger. Zhao Sheng was forced to resign in the face of political repression after his photo accidentally appeared on the front page of a newspaper for attending a march, thus being labeled as political.
Although he gave up his stable, well-paying job, Chiu Sheng still used his knowledge of the department’s rules and related laws to help Hong Kong’s protesters and worked with legislators to help Hong Kong’s political prisoners fight for the rights they deserve. He said, “The treatment inside is still somewhat proportional, not seriously violent, but the police will use security, discipline (in the form of unruly and undisciplined) and other issues to make the treatment of political prisoners slightly worse.”
Zhao Sheng believes that the rule of law in Hong Kong is no longer and law enforcement is no longer credible. He said, “Hong Kong’s justice itself is not fair, arrested many ordinary protesters, they do not have weapons, and is not a very serious crime, but the Department of Justice will recommend not to bail, the judge also biased to the Department of Justice’s opinion.”
Zhao Sheng said that in the past, the Correctional Services Department is based on the law issued by the right to enforce, if a dispute arises, the staff has done something wrong, will also go to check whether the staff have to do things according to the law, there are laws to rely on. But in recent years, I don’t know whether it is influenced by the Chinese Communist Party’s approach, many cases are “the law has the law written, we have our own practice”, in the face of such changes, let Zhao Sheng very disappointed, more determined to go.
He said, “Many staff members are complained about, but will instead accuse these ‘prisoners’ who raise questions, to punish these people, and gradually use the set of the Chinese Communist Party to manage, to the mainland’s law to change.”
The United States welcomes Hong Kong people to run free
After living in Hong Kong for nearly three months, Zhao Sheng’s first stop was in Los Angeles, where he said, “I found that the established concepts of the past don’t seem to be quite right.” He used to think that because of the multi-ethnic mix in the U.S., there might be more conflict between Asians and Americans, but after arriving in the U.S., he found out that this is not the case at all.
Zhao Sheng is currently settled in Colorado, his city rarely encounter Chinese, but everyone is very friendly to him, there is no news reports of Asian discrimination. He believes that most Americans are very welcoming to immigrants, because the United States was originally founded on immigration, so Hong Kong people do not have to worry too much about being unwelcome in the United States, and their family has not encountered difficulties in adapting. Zhao Sheng said, “English is not good, it does not matter, many Hispanic immigrants also do not speak English, as long as they do their part, do not need to worry too much about discrimination here, that is just the tip of the iceberg, nothing Asian hate problem.”
According to Zhao Sheng’s own experience, in the process of applying for immigration, the United States is still more supportive of democracy and freedom, which is also the core value of the founding of the United States, so he suggested that Hong Kong people can consider going to the United States to apply for asylum. He said, “It’s not a very difficult thing to have the confidence to try to apply, and it won’t use too many resources, it’s better than being dealt with by the National Security Law.”
According to the current Hong Kong National Security Law, anyone who has participated in the protest movement in Hong Kong can be arrested. Zhao Sheng said, “If the time comes to be retaliated, liquidated, and imprisoned without evidence, it is better to leave, although very reluctant, but must go.”
Overseas support for the Hong Kong sound waves continue to rest
After moving overseas, Zhao Sheng is still very concerned about the social situation in Hong Kong. He found that there are many Hong Kong handlers in the United States who are silently organizing to fight the Chinese Communist Party with overseas fronts, such as lobbying local legislators, using the ability of officials to help Hong Kong, and guarding Hong Kong through congressional proposals or international public opinion. Hong Kong people do not cease to be Hong Kong people when they leave Hong Kong.
Overseas, Chiu can speak out more freely for Hong Kong. He said, “What they [Hong Kong people] can’t say in their hearts now, I will say for them in the United States.” For example, if there are unreasonable situations in the Correctional Services Department, or if there is news of suppression or silencing in the prisons, he feels more obliged to speak up for them when he is overseas.
Zhao Sheng said, “Those who leave will not abandon Hong Kong, but run to places where they can express their opinions freely, and we do not need to be suppressed by the National Security Law because of our speech.” Overseas Hong Kong people, and many of our friends from Hong Kong who have just escaped, can unite together to help make Hong Kong, professionally or otherwise.
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