鄒幸彤 – 獄中信 |讓文字被看見|Letters from the Imprisoned: Chow Hang Tung
Summary
TLDRThe script details the plight of Chaang Tong, a Hong Kong barrister and activist, who has been detained under the National Security Law since September 2021. Despite her prolonged pre-trial detention and harsh conditions, including solitary confinement, she has won multiple international human rights awards and continues to write and express her views on the importance of rule of law and the challenges to democracy and freedom of speech in China. Her speeches from prison underscore the struggle for human rights and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of oppression.
Takeaways
- 📅 Since September 2021, Chaang Tong, Vice Chairperson of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, has been held at Tai Lam Center for Women.
- 🔒 Prolonged pre-trial detention is now common under the National Security Law.
- 🏆 Chaang Tong received at least five international human rights awards while in custody.
- 👮 She was arrested on June 4, 2021, and faced four charges related to unauthorized assemblies and national security law violations.
- 📝 Even in prison, she continued to write articles and letters, sharing her experiences and perspectives.
- 💪 Chaang Tong emphasizes the power of words as a form of resistance and maintains her determination to fight for justice.
- 🖋️ Despite the challenges, she finds joy in simple things and continues to support her fellow inmates.
- 👥 Chaang Tong received international recognition for her human rights work, including the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law.
- 📃 She argues against the misuse of laws for political repression and highlights the importance of individual conscience and democratic institutions.
- 🎤 Chaang Tong's speeches and writings from prison stress the need for true freedom of speech, voting rights, and human dignity.
Q & A
Who is Chia Hang Tong?
-Chia Hang Tong is the Vice Chairperson of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China and a barrister.
What charges has Chia Hang Tong faced under the National Security Law?
-Chia Hang Tong has faced charges for taking part in and inciting others to take part in unauthorized assemblies in 2020 and 2021, refusal to provide information under the National Security Law, and incitement to subvert state power.
What has been Chia Hang Tong's experience in prison?
-Chia Hang Tong has faced prolonged pre-trial detention, has been held in solitary confinement multiple times, and has had to write court statements and letters by hand due to lack of access to a computer. Despite these conditions, she has continued to write and share her thoughts.
How has Chia Hang Tong continued her advocacy while in prison?
-Chia Hang Tong has continued her advocacy by writing letters and articles, voicing her opinions, and sharing her experiences despite the harsh prison conditions.
What are some of the international human rights awards Chia Hang Tong has received?
-Chia Hang Tong has received at least five international human rights awards, including the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law.
What challenges has Chia Hang Tong faced in writing while in prison?
-Chia Hang Tong has faced challenges such as limited space, lack of a proper writing desk, and the interception of her letters. She often writes on the floor, using a plastic table and leaning against the bunk bed.
What personal joys does Chia Hang Tong find while in prison?
-Chia Hang Tong finds joy in simple things such as seeing a beautiful tree, enjoying warm sunlight, observing a cat, and participating in weight loss exercises with her cellmates.
What penalties has Chia Hang Tong faced for violating prison regulations?
-Chia Hang Tong has faced penalties such as solitary confinement for sharing food or possessions with fellow inmates, hoarding letters, and other minor infractions.
What was Chia Hang Tong's perspective on the term 'National Security' in her speech?
-Chia Hang Tong argued that the term 'National Security' has been expanded and used to justify indefinite pre-trial detention and suppression of dissent. She emphasized that peaceful protests and freedom of speech have been increasingly restricted.
What does Chia Hang Tong's case illustrate about the current state of human rights in Hong Kong and China?
-Chia Hang Tong's case illustrates the severe restrictions on human rights and freedom of expression in Hong Kong and China, where laws are used to suppress dissent and punish activists under the guise of national security.
Outlines
🏛️ Chia Hang Tong's Imprisonment and Awards
Since September 2021, Chia Hang Tong, the Vice Chairperson of the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, has been held at Tai Lam Centre for Women. Her prolonged pre-trial detention under the National Security Law is noted. Despite her imprisonment, she has received five international human rights awards. Chia Hang Tong was arrested on June 4, 2021, and faces multiple charges, including incitement to participate in unauthorized assemblies and refusal to provide information under the National Security Law. She has continued her advocacy through letters from prison.
📜 Ongoing Challenges in Prison
While in prison, Chia Hang Tong faces difficult conditions, including limited writing space and the interception of her letters. Her physical health has deteriorated, and she has been placed in solitary confinement multiple times for minor infractions. Despite these challenges, she continues to write and advocate for human rights. Her situation highlights the harsh conditions under the National Security Law and the ongoing repression of dissent in Hong Kong.
📝 Chia Hang Tong's Advocacy Through Writing
Despite being imprisoned, Chia Hang Tong has written English speeches and received the Human Rights Award from the Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe. She critically discusses the expansive and partisan use of the term 'National Security' and its impact on freedom of speech and peaceful assembly. Her writings highlight the suppression of dissent and the reinterpretation of universal values under the National Security Law.
🌐 International Reactions and Censorship
Chia Hang Tong's speeches and writings address the role of international tech companies in China's censorship system and the broader implications of China's actions on global human rights. She argues that compliance with Chinese laws by foreign companies contributes to a system of thought control and repression. Her advocacy continues to receive international recognition despite ongoing attempts to silence her.
📜 The Power of the Blank Page
In her acceptance speech for the Franco-German Prize for Human Rights and the Rule of Law, Chia Hang Tong emphasizes the significance of blank ballots and white papers as symbols of freedom and dissent. She criticizes the Hong Kong government's restrictions on voting and free expression. Chia Hang Tong highlights the importance of individual conscience and democratic institutions in safeguarding human rights and the law.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡National Security Law
💡Chia Hang Tong
💡Unauthorized Assembly
💡Prolonged Pre-trial Detention
💡Human Rights Awards
💡Solitary Confinement
💡Franco-German Prize for Human Rights
💡Literary Inquisition
💡Blank Ballot and White Paper
💡Great Firewall
Highlights
Since September 2021, Chia Hang Tong, Vice Chairperson of the Hong Kong Alliance, has been in custody under the National Security Law.
Chia Hang Tong has received at least five international human rights awards during her period in custody.
She was arrested on June 4, 2021, for taking part in and inciting others to take part in unauthorized assemblies.
Chia Hang Tong was granted bail in August 2021 but rearrested in September and has been in custody since.
She continues to write extensively from her prison cell, despite the limited space and resources.
Chia Hang Tong finds joy in simple daily activities, even in prison, such as observing a cat named Manman and exercising with cellmates.
Her writings emphasize the importance of finding meaning and happiness in small achievements and acts of kindness.
Chia Hang Tong has faced multiple instances of solitary confinement for minor infractions, such as sharing food and toiletries with fellow inmates.
She discusses the irony of receiving human rights awards while being imprisoned under laws that suppress dissent.
Chia Hang Tong's speeches highlight the expansive and partisan use of the term 'national security' to justify indefinite pre-trial detention and suppress peaceful protests.
Her writings critique the reinterpretation of terms like 'freedom of speech' and 'peaceful assembly' to restrict civil liberties.
She draws parallels between current events and historical examples of authoritarianism, such as Václav Havel's green grocer story.
Chia Hang Tong emphasizes the power of individual conscience and the need for democratic institutions to safeguard the law's dignity.
She argues that China's Great Firewall and extensive censorship system violate the rights to information and expression of billions.
Chia Hang Tong's acceptance speech for the Franco-German prize for human rights underscores the importance of freedom to express individual thoughts and choices.
Despite being punished for her writings, Chia Hang Tong continues to advocate for human rights and democracy from within her prison cell.
Transcripts
[Music]
since September 2021 chaang Tong Vice
chairperson of the Hong Kong Alliance in
support of patriotic Democratic
movements of China has been held at
thailam Center for Women either serving
a prison sentence or in custody on
remand prolonged pre-trial detention is
a new normal under the National Security
Law this Barrister still in prison has
received at least five international
human rights Awards during her period in
custody
part of the
[Music]
[Applause]
job on 4th of June 2021 CH Tong was
arrested she was subsequently brought to
court on four separate
charges for taking part in and inciting
others to take part in an unauthorized
assembly in
2020 and inciting others to take part in
an unauthorized assembly in 2021 for the
alliance's alleged refusal to provide
information under the National Security
Law and for the alleged involvement of
the alliance in incitement to subvert
stayed power four cases in
total now in jail it seems to me that
the only thing I can do is to turn into
a
columnist this is an interpretation of
chia hang Tong's voice on 12th of July
2021 she publicly released her first
letter from
prison it appears that my career as a
barrister must take a temporary pause
just as I said before leaving as long as
there is a breath left in me I will
fight to the end in the coming years
even if I can't be with you physically I
can still be rebellious with words this
is a kind of literary Inquisition in
such an era words might be the kind of
weapon that is nothing less powerful
than
demonstration she was granted bail and
released in August 2021
but was then rearrested in September and
has been in custody ever
since even in prison she has never
stopped
writing the challenge of writing lengthy
articles in a prison cell is the limited
space a small room with only a plastic
table and no chair surprisingly I
discovered the floor in front of the
door is the optimal writing spot it's
the closest point to the outside where
the fan is located making it the coolest
spot in the
cell the floor serves as a makeshift
desk allowing me to spread out the
judgments read and write without
worrying about Pages being blown off the
bed and I can lean against the pillar of
the bunk bed for a ready-made back
rest she sits on the floor like this
writing her practical guide for
prisoners
what truly brings happiness to me it's
the Simplicity of life's little Joys
seeing a beautiful tree in the morning
reving in the warm sunlight during
airing out or observing manman taking a
nap in the afternoon yes that cat even
taking part in weight loss exercises
with my cellmates in the evening all
these bring joy to me perhaps it's the
gift of having a simple mind or maybe
happiness is a skill that that can be
cultivated over
time meaning this appears to be the
magical word the very root of both
happiness and
unhappiness the cleaning lady might feel
that scrubbing the toilet until it
shines is a success Copus might find
meaning and joy in finding the perfect
path up the mountain each day setting
goals in daily life and tasks and
finding a sense of achievement seems to
be one of the shortcuts to discovering
meaning
I always remind myself that in a place
where tears are already abundant I must
choose laughter and treat those around
me with kindness to smile freely is a
choice within this confined Freedom
within a system that compels wrongdoing
my only concern is that laughter might
bring about laugh
lines after a year in prison Chia hang
Tong continued to be held in custody on
charges under the National Security Law
specifically for the accusations of
incitement to subvert state power
related to her involvement with the
alliance while in prison she
persistently voiced her opinions through
letters however these Dynamics have
slowly started to change friends have
noted that chiao hang Tong lost
significant weight during her time in
prison and the physical toll was evident
in calluses on her hands from extensive
writing
without access to a computer and unable
to go online she had to handwrite Court
statements and
letters however over the past year many
of the letters have gone missing
frequently or been
intercepted in October 2023 her fiance
on the mainland let it be known that he
hadn't received any letters from chiao
for several months
the most recent photos of chaang Tong
were taken in June 2023 when she
attended a hearing at the court of final
appeal as she got out of the prison
vehicle and entered the court
correctional officers used briefcases to
hide her but she managed to peek through
the Gap revealing a smile a fleeting
moment that was captured by the news
photographers after that the officers
pulled up a huge black cloth living no
gaps
anymore chiao hang Tong's face words and
updates all have become more and more
elusive to the public
eye over more than 6 months she was
placed in solitary confinement every
month as a form of
punishment since June 2023 she has
consistently been accused of violating
prison
rules according to records kept by her
friends and family she faced penalties
on nine occasions in the second half of
2023 these included an incident where
Tang Tong was found sharing peanuts with
a fellow inmate violating prison
regulations that prohibit the sharing of
food or
possessions she was punished with 3 days
of solitary
confinement on another occasion she
shared a piece of Ginger with someone
resulting in a 7-Day pan y there was
also an instance where she shared
shampoo resulting in another 3-day
punishment in mid December after
receiving the Franco German prize for
human rights and the rule of law she was
accused of hoarding too many letters
violating prison
regulations she then faced a severe
penalty of 18
days according to the United Nations
standard minimum rules for the treatment
of prisoners disciplinary sanctions
should never develop into torture or
inhuman treatment prolonged solitary
confinement for more than 15 consecutive
days is specifically
prohibited according to rough estimates
by Chow's friends and family she was
kept in solitary confinement in the
so-called water and rice cell for total
of 78 days in the second half of 2023
the correctional services Department's
response to us was that they would not
comment on individual
cases her friends jokingly call her the
queen of the water and rice
cell on one occasion a friend asked her
why do you always Break The Rules by
sharing things with
others she explained that some fellow
inmates don't have family members
providing supplies and the shampoo she
shared was merely a
leftover she thought these were only
pretexts used to accuse
her in October 2023 chia's friends
reported what she
said when I'm taken to the solitary cell
the combination of the stifling Heat and
the uncertainty about events in the
outside world is the most unbearable can
you imagine it's like cutting off my
connection with all of you and with Hong
Kong
chiao told them how lucky she felt just
to be moved to a different
cell I've been relocated to another room
it's much better now with a fan outside
finally I can get a few more hours of
sleep but this isn't something that can
be improved on an individual basis there
will be other people moving into the
room without a fan so improving the
overall environment is the most
important thing
she wrote two English speeches in the
prison there is a certain irony in a
prisoner of law receiving a prize given
by lawyers something must have gone very
wrong when one who pledged to serve the
law receives recognition instead for
allegedly breaking the
law in November 2023 along with Chinese
human rights activists XU xiong and ding
jashi
she received the human rights award from
the Council of bars and law societies of
Europe commending their courage
determination and commitments to defend
human rights and the rule of law in
China Chia hang Tong is the first Hong
Kong Barrister to receive this
award setting aside her usual humorous
style of writing she focused on a
serious topic entitled on rules based
order rules are rules
say the officials say the judges say the
prison Warden and the elephant in the
room snorts who made the rules
anyway when the Constitution mandates A
party's absolute leadership does
allegiance to the law require honoring
one party rule when a law is secretly
made and suddenly sprung on the populace
do you accept or reject its
Authority Chia hang Tong says that laws
propped up by unj power could bring
about the greatest nightmares even
becoming tools to suppress
descent in Her speech she discussed how
the meaning of the term National
Security has taken on an Ever more
expansive and partisan
meaning it is to the point that a common
citizen speaking her mind if her views
might contradict that of the party can
be considered a national security threat
justifying indefinite pre trial
detention criticism or even just sarcasm
are increasingly equated with the
stroking of
hatred the scope of what counts as
peaceful protests under the basic law
has been steadily compressed which led
to thousands of protesters who have not
themselves committed any act of violence
but were merely present at or near to a
scene where violence erupted being
sentenced to lengthy jail
terms terms such as National Security
freedom of speech and peaceful assembly
seem to have undergone new
interpretations it appears as though
Universal values are being replaced with
different
ideologies the party's narrative on the
term is swallowed whole in the name of
deference and entrenched through
successive case law such shift in
meaning and interpretation does not
occur overnight and thus is all the
harder to detect and resist each step
built on the last with plausible
sounding legal justification until step
by innocuous step we end up in a
completely unrecognizable place where
prisoners of conscience populate our
prisons protestations that our Judiciary
is still independent is really quite
beside the point the party simply has
little need of old style explicit
direction of individual cas
when political control already permeated
every poor of
society when the Independent Court is
voluntarily jailing denters and
destroying Civil Society why
[Music]
interfere changtong pointed out in Her
speech that the great firewall China's
extensive internet censorship system is
a massive infrastructure to wall of free
information a daily violation of the
rights to information expression and
communication of
billions because of the legal
justifications the system is
rationalized and even foreign tech
companies are
participating forced labor in shinjang
does not exist allegation of torture is
foreign
propaganda nothing happened on tianan
Square on that fateful day 34 years ago
as shown by the fact that I must speak
to you from prison and the fact that
most Chinese people would never know why
sujong and ding xiaoi are imprisoned or
even heard of their
names yet tech companies local and
foreign alike are untroubled by their
participation in the world's largest
attempt at thought control since they
can always say that they are merely
complying with legal
requirements law thus becomes an excuse
to calmer conscience numbing us to the
part we play in
evil chiao said that the International
Community is increasingly becoming part
of China's massive system for reshaping
reality it can propose the building of a
community with a shared future for
mankind while destroying every sense of
a community among its people producing a
most atomized
Society it urges respect for people
choice of their own system of governance
while never giving that choice to its
people when other countries sign on to
these seemingly benign initiatives of
China they should be aware that they are
not entering into genuine mutual
agreement of principles but a propaganda
drive to reshape
reality the power of these initiatives
has less in their content but more in
their number of
adherence the more people Echo these
formulations the the more Prestige to
the proposer the more credible is their
version of
reality the form of these words become
all important while the words themselves
lose meaning it is in fact Havel's story
of the green grosser repeated on a
global
scale VAV havl was the initiator of the
1989 Velvet Revolution and then the
first president of the Czech Republic in
his book The Power of of the powerless
there is a symbolic
example in an authoritarian
Society green grossers are required to
display official slogans on shop Windows
to demonstrate loyalty to the
system the green grossers decide not to
comply they choose not to live in a
false manner refusing to empower the
system any
longer since the voice of conscience can
only come from within and cannot be
delegated nor centralized conscience has
power only when individuals have
power thus law as values is Possible
only when individuals have a share in
state power when each touched by the law
can judge it and mold it in turn in
accordance with his own conscientious
understanding of the Law's
values the building of democratic
institutions that alone can Safeguard
the Law's dignity is also a lawyer's
Duty which is why all three of us
receiving this prize today are jailed
for working for democracy in
China even when knowing that the laws we
served would likely condemn us for
sometimes confronting the law as it is
is the only way to respect the law as it
should be and the highest service a
lawyer can offer her fellow
men on 10th of December 20123
international human rights day the
governments of France and Germany
awarded the Franco German prize for
human rights and the rule of law to 12
individuals including Chia hang Tong
chiao published her acceptance speech on
15th of December titled blank ballot and
white paper recovering the essence of
our trampled rights when the world
celebrates international human rights
day the Hong Kong government mocks it by
holding a fake
election not only is there no meaningful
choice on the ballot people are not even
allowed to register their displeasure by
calling on each other to cast blank
votes yes inciting another to vote for
no one is a statutory crime in Hong
Kong here voting is meant to show only
approval not choice and a blank ballot
empty of content and hence pregnant with
possibilities is a most serious threat
to such show of
unanimity just as blank pieces of paper
can be a most serious threat to National
Security in
China for what are human rights but a
guarantee that each can have his own
piece of blank paper free to fill it in
with whatever one
pleases instead we find ourselves
confined to the ever narrowing Realm of
the approved and permitted allowed to
play only the roles designated by those
in
power for what is freedom of speech but
the right to form our own own words on
that blank page of ours instead we find
ourselves being forced to repeat
gibberish party speak in order to pass
exams to land a job or even just to
avoid
jail for what is the right to vote but
the right to make our own choice instead
we find our choice made for us in the
back room and voting reduced to a ritual
confirmation of the party's
will she argues that the recognition
that each has the right to his own blank
page is also a call to drop all
preconception and Prejudice about each
other a call to hold on to the sense of
mutual respect and equality in human
relationships without that blank page of
possibility each now holds a just piece
of the jigsaw designed from on high and
can only relate to specified others in
accordance with the shape and pattern
allocated to him the jigsaw might look
Grand and but it is also a sterile
object devoid of Vitality a state's
denial of the people's right is its own
invisibility cloak but in every white
paper in every blank vote in every
missing credit people have tried to
subvert even invisibility into a protest
into the purest assertion of Human
Rights and dignity
[Music]
during her detention chaang Tong
received at least five international
human rights
Awards each time she wrote the speeches
from prison each time she was punished
by being confined in the water and R
cell facing four walls alone with all
inmate privileges
revoked while her body is restrained her
voice may be silenced but her thoughts
remain free chiao hang Tong persists in
writing and thinking within her prison
cell a freedom that cannot be taken away
from
her for
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Universal Declaration of Human Rights
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