Letter from the mother of Joshua Wong Chi-fung
Original post: https://www.facebook.com/joshuawongchifung/posts/746000465492464
It takes ten months to bear a child, and tremendous efforts to bring him up. Who, as a mother, does not want her child to enjoy peace and tranquillity in his life? But can this wish be easily fulfilled in this 21st century of Hong Kong?
In the past year or so, my son and his fellows have been keeping this faith: Hong Kongers deserve a “fair, just, universal and equal suffrage which genuinely reflects the views of citizens”, and spared their every time and effort on this.
I understand that everyone has his political views, and the actions of my son and his fellows are debatable, but why do they have to be overwhelmed by all these defamation and smear, all these heartless and venomous curses? My past residential address has been (wrongly) disclosed as my present address, I have received so much nuisance that I need to terminate my mobile number, my family has received so many funeral wreaths. And so many fake stories, such as we have USA visa, my son has been admitted to foreign university with scholarship, he has been trained on fighting by the United States Military Corps, we had been in political parties, he has received monetary help from foreign force etc. People go to any length to defame them, why can human nature go so evil?
Since the dialogue between the government and Hong Kong Federation of Students in early October, the government has done nothing to follow up the “public opinion report” and “multilateral discussion platform” it proposed. The government, which emphasises itself being “door always open”, lays aside any opportunity for dialogue.
Students upholding the principle of peace have helplessly initiated hunger strike for nearly 100 hours outside the Central Government Offices. They just hope for communication and dialogue with the government.
Suppression and silencing is not the solution to the cleavages and conflicts in Hong Kong society. A responsible government should face up to the students’ demand for universal suffrage. You may not agree with their viewpoints, but you should respond with education and communication, but not ignore them, or else this generation will become more opposing to and alienated from the government.
The only one who can fix the problem is the one who created the problem. I call for the government to re-launch dialogue and communication!
Mother of Joshua
90th hour upon my son’s hunger strike