Placeholder Image

Subtitles section Play video

  • Would you mind joining me in a round of "Do You Hear the People Sing?"

  • Ah, Admiralty, Hong Kong...

  • I remember being here two years ago during the Umbrella Movement.

  • In 2014, the people of Hong Kong -

  • mainly young people -

  • took to the streets for 79 days

  • to protest for their right to directly elect their leader -

  • Something Beijing promised under the One Country - Two Systems policy

  • but, spoiler alert: they lied.

  • I remember it all so clearly.

  • That's where I slept in a tent.

  • Right where that BMW is driving by.

  • Over there, that was the Lennon Wall.

  • I can almost see student leader, Joshua Wong, giving a rousing speech!

  • Oh wait... that is Joshua Wong!

  • Joshua!

  • Joshua!

  • Joshua! Joshua!

  • Hi - hi!

  • Do you mind if I get an interview with you?

  • Oh, of course - okay!

  • Awesome. Can we go somewhere quieter?

  • Yeah, that side is better.

  • Alright, let's go - Okay!

  • Well, Joshua, thank you for agreeing to be interviewed.

  • What's it like for you to be back here at Admiralty?

  • It's the place, two years ago, we occupied and create

  • a miracle, or even the history of Hong Kong.

  • And it's also a place where now I work,

  • and because I'm already the assistant of legislator, Nathan Law.

  • Do you think, some day, they'll build big statues of you?

  • Uh, it's a bit too far away, in fact.

  • You're being too modest.

  • Would you consider another mass movement like the Umbrella?

  • Next year, March, will be the chief executive election.

  • I believe it will be a critical point for Hong Kongers

  • to have a massive social movement

  • to show our anger to the indifference of Beijing again.

  • How do you think that will be different from two years ago?

  • I would say that there's too much uncertainty.

  • After the Umbrella Movement ended,

  • with the bookseller incident happened,

  • kidnapped from Hong Kong to China,

  • how I've been detained in Bangkok airport

  • because the Thai government hoped to remain in good relations with China.

  • And how disqualified two pro-independence legislators.

  • It seems we already faced the failure of One Country - Two Systems,

  • And the road to a high degree of autonomy,

  • the path of Hong Kong to a democracy

  • is really far away, in fact.

  • Do you think there's any hope of maintaining One Coutry - Two Systems with the Communist Party?

  • Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

  • It's a long-term battle.

  • I can see the hope from people. But I can't see the hope from Communist Party.

  • The people are always the trigger pull to create a miracle.

  • That's why it will be a motivator for me to continue to fight.

  • I still have hope for Hong Kongers.

  • And you co-founded a new party, Demosistō.

  • What are the goals of that party?

  • What we hope is to push for South determination movement.

  • We believe Hong Kong has gained the right of self-determination.

  • To have a democratic procedure or even referendum

  • to decide the constitution,

  • and sovereignty of Hong Kong after the end of

  • 15 years unchanged policy,

  • in 2047.

  • And what does Demosistō think of Hong Kong independence?

  • Is that different from self-determination?

  • In fact, in the policy platform of Demosistō, we do not advocate independence.

  • But what we do believe is the sovereignty of Hong Kong should be decided

  • by people in Hong Kong.

  • Of course, the pro-Beijing force would hope to turn One Country - Two System

  • into One Country - One system.

  • But in the referendum, no matter One Country - One System,

  • One Country - Two System,

  • complete autonomy or independence,

  • they can be possible options to let Hong Kongers decide their future.

  • And in the Demosistō manifesto, it says people should rise up.

  • Are you sure that's a good idea?

  • I would say that,

  • Now Hong Kongers are facing the largest communist regime in the world.

  • It will be a long term battle,

  • after the Umbrella Movement ended, we may feel downhearted

  • and depressed.

  • But after the legislative election,

  • and with the positive result of new generation,

  • and a civil society force to enter the institution,

  • It proved that we need to continue the fight.

  • And in America, there's a feeling that young people don't care about politics.

  • Why is Hong Kong making America look bad?

  • I would say that,

  • just like the presidential election,

  • of course it's hard for the majority

  • young generation or university student

  • to involve or support those mainstream candidates.

  • But how they're involved in the crowdfunding campaign of Bernie Sanders

  • and already proved that, young people, they may be

  • dissatisfied with the old or existing

  • institution, traditional politician.

  • But they will still hope to gain the new voices and to

  • get the change to the system.

  • It's also the reason for me to

  • found the political party after the end of the Umbrella Movement.

  • It's necessary for us to keep the momentum and let

  • people in Hong Kong and the world know that

  • young generation in Hong Kong will still continue to strike on the street,

  • but also enter the institution to be the legislator.

  • So recently, you met with politicians in the US.

  • What's your hopes for the US getting involved?

  • The threat of China is not just only affecting people in Hong Kong, China, or Taiwan.

  • It affects the whole of Southeast Asia or Asia-Pacific.

  • Just like I've been blacklisted by Malaysia,

  • and Thai government detained me -

  • all because they hope to maintain

  • foreign relationship with China and Beijing government!

  • So I would say that,

  • I just urge the international community

  • to keep their eyes in Hong Kong.

  • And just like how Senators Rubio and Cotton

  • have raised the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act

  • to show the support of the international community

  • on the democracy movement in Hong Kong.

  • It will be a positive trend in the future.

  • Now you and I have both been accused of being in the CIA.

  • Are you a part of the CIA?

  • Of course not!

  • Yeah, they were saying I'm a CIA agent.

  • And also, claim that I've been controlled,

  • that I've been receiving training from US Marines...

  • I just remember the comment of my peers,

  • "Comparing your body size to Tom Cruise, of course you're not a CIA agent!"

  • Well, that's exactly what a CIA agent would say.

  • So what's your view on Yau Wai-ching and Baggio Leung's oath-taking?

  • I would say that I disagree with using this kind of racist term

  • to do it for the message in the oath.

  • If they support Hong Kong independence, they can directly voice out the slogan of,

  • they can demand Hong Kong independence instead of using this kind of

  • terms, or words to elaborate on their political stance.

  • But I would say that the disqualified

  • by Beijing is just

  • proving how Beijing

  • betrayed and ignored their promise in the joint declaration.

  • Especially on how they

  • would try to override the judicial system and legislature.

  • And the whole of the system is just for viewing the interests of Beijing.

  • And just to clarify for the audience,

  • When you mentioned the slur, it was the specific use of

  • the term, "Chee-na,"

  • Which is what the Japanese used to refer to the Chinese during World War II,

  • which has become somewhat of a racial slur.

  • You were refused entry to both Thailand and Malaysia.

  • Are there other countries that you're banned from visiting?

  • Of course! Mainland China.

  • Yeah, and I've been invited by the activist group

  • in Singapore that supports Amos Yee

  • but because, due to my personal safety,

  • I just suggested to have a Skype conference with them

  • because I don't want to be detained

  • in Bangkok, in a detention cell again.

  • Are you concerned for your safety? I know you've gotten

  • beaten up, bloodied.

  • It's really inconvenient, being Hong Kongist.

  • I have been blacklisted by most Southeast Asia countries already.

  • So no matter,

  • in the holiday, if I hope to get a trip

  • overseas, my options are quite limited.

  • And I know when you were just 18,

  • Fortune Magazine listed you as one of the greatest leaders in the world.

  • Do you have any advice for other inspiring great leaders? I'm asking for a friend.

  • I would say that,

  • Fortune Magazine in 1997

  • had a cover story with the title, "The Death of Hong Kong."

  • But 18 years later, they chose me to be the

  • "10 Greatest Leaders in the World."

  • I'm not saying I'm the greatest leader in the world. I actually disagree on this.

  • But I think it just proves to the world

  • if you guys think Hong Kong is already dead,

  • it's wrong.

  • We face the death of One Country - Two System.

  • We face the failure of high degree autonomy.

  • But it's not the death of Hong Kong.

  • Because Hong Kongers are still passionate,

  • and have our courage, and will fight for democracy.

  • One more question:

  • Would you mind joining me in a round of "Do You Hear the People Sing?"

  • Do you hear the people sing, Sing the song of angry men?

  • It's the music of the people who will not be slaves again!

  • When the beating of your heart Echoes the beating of the drums

  • There is a life about to start When tomorrow comes.

  • Yeah, I love your YouTube channel.

  • We got that on camera!

  • Great! Thanks, Josh.

  • Subscribe it! Subscribe! Yes! Yes!

Would you mind joining me in a round of "Do You Hear the People Sing?"

Subtitles and vocabulary

Click the word to look it up Click the word to find further inforamtion about it