Alexandra Wong is called “Grandma Wong” and is a well-known face of Hong Kong anti-government protests. She did not miss a single – until last August, when she disappeared. She wore the British flag at the demonstrations, a symbol of the country that colonized Hong Kong until 1997.
“I miss the British-Hong Kong government before 1997. The British helped us build so many things. The department of state power, the rule of law, loyalty to moral principles and the entire social system, “she said in a protest last July.
Today for such a gesture threatens life, but at that time it was still with impunity. Nevertheless, she was detained by police in a neighboring town. She then changed her detention facility for a month and a half, spending 45 days in custody without charge.
She had to renounce activism in writing even in front of the camera. “They wanted me to say three things: that they did not torture me and treated me decently, that I loved my homeland and that I would no longer protest and retire,” activist Wong calculates. “It was the worst thing I’ve ever done in my life,” she added.
Then they sent her on a “patriotic journey” to Shenxi province in northeastern China, where she took pictures with the Chinese flag and sang the anthem. She was eventually released on bail by the Chinese authorities, but was not allowed to return to Hong Kong for another year. That period she spent under house arrest expired last month.
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Opposition: Violation of the principle of one country, two systems
The opposition sees her case as further evidence of a violation of the principle of one country, two systems, which should guarantee the people of Hong Kong unprecedented freedoms in mainland China.
“A Hong Kong citizen took part in peaceful protests in Hong Kong, was arrested in mainland China and was prevented from returning for a long time. That’s a serious matter, “commented Fernkon Cheem, a Hong Kong pro-democracy MP.
Mrs. Wong is at heart now the fate of twelve activists detained at sea on the run in Taiwan. There are no reports of them, families and hired lawyers do not have access to them. They face trial and heavy penalties. Mrs. Wong called for their release.
In Hong Kong, people have been demonstrating since last June for democratic reforms and against the growing influence of mainland China, under whose rule the former British colony returned in 1997.
In response to the protests, Beijing issued a new security law for autonomous Hong Kong in June to suppress terrorist and separatist activities, subversive activities and foreign interference.
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