【美國國會「香港主權移交二十週年」聽證會發言全文】
(Scroll down for Joshua Wong’s testimony at U.S. Congressional hearing)
你可能知道香港的政治方針為「一國兩制」,但它現時已倒退為「一國1.5制」,未來更可能惡化成「一國一制」。我在97年回歸前不足一年出生,現時20歲,香港政府正準備慶祝香港回歸20周年,7月1日會是國家主席習近平首次訪港。
近日政府已進行大規模政治拘捕,同時亦繼續試圖取消多名民主派立法會議員資格,包括在去年以23歲之齡,在立法會選舉當選成最年輕立法會議員的傘運學生領袖羅冠聰。我對香港在雨傘運動後仍距離落實民主很遠感到不幸,這亦是我希望爭取更多國際層面支持的原因。
我很高興看到美國共和民參議員魯比奧(Marco Rubio)重提香港人權與民主法案(Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2017),美國跨黨派都支持該法案,反映保障香港自由和自治,應該是不同政治光譜的共識。法案保障香港參加非暴力集會的人士,不應因有判罪紀錄而遭美國拒發簽證。
另一位傘運學生領袖周永康在去年7月因被判參與非法集會,被判監三星期和緩刑一年後,由於其案底,他在準備赴倫敦修讀碩士學位,申請英國學生簽證時遭到明顯困難。他近日已獲美國加州大學柏克萊分校(UC Berkeley)接受為研究生,意味他將會申請美國學生簽證,認為法案對周永康這類學生十分重要,能減少他們申請進入其他自由國家時的困難。
我早前應邀到泰國一大學交流時,曾被拒入境及拘留12小時,我當時要求聯絡律師及香港家人,但均遭拒絕,我擔心成下一個桂民海,幸好最好我獲釋放,但泰國當局稱在中國要求下,我將永久被禁止踏足泰國。
法案一旦通過,將能將人權和自由放在美國對港政策的中心,亦會向北京政府發出強大訊息,美國相信保障香港的政治自由,與保障香港的經濟自由同樣重要,這亦符合現有85000公民和1400間公司在香港的美國利益。大部分美國傳媒包括CNN、華爾街日報及時代雜誌都將他們的亞洲辦公室設在香港,顯示香港仍是中國中最自由的地區。
我希望美國共和、民主兩黨能合作去保障他們都認同的基本人權價值,香港人亦會繼續向中共政權爭取民主,並行使自決的權利。我6年前開始爭取民主,我當時14歲,香港民主之父李柱銘經歷40年的爭取,今年將已79歲,我好奇當我79歲時,是否已看到民主的來臨?
民主是普世價值,應在任何地方都被維護及推廣,我們這一代的宏願,是確保香港繼續作為中國及世界的人權及自由指標。
專制政權今日主導我們的未來,但那一天終會有民主到來,讓我們決定香港未來。無論民主運動如何發展,我們會使民主屬於我們的,因為這是我們的時代。
--------------------------------------------------------------
Joshua Wong’s testimony at U.S. Congressional hearing
You may have known about Hong Kong’s political arrangement as “One Country, Two Systems.” But it has now become “One Country, One-and-a-Half Systems,” and potentially “One Country, One System” in the future if conditions continue to worsen.
I was born less than a year before the handover of Hong Kong from the U.K. to China in 1997. I am 20 years old now. At the same time, the Hong Kong government is preparing its 20th handover anniversary celebration. July 1 will be the first time Xi Jinping visits Hong Kong as the Chinese President.
To pave the way for that, we now face massive political prosecution, while the government intends to disqualify democratically-elected lawmakers in the opposition camp, including the core Umbrella Movement student leader Nathan Law, who was elected last year as the youngest ever legislator at age 23. Unfortunately, Hong Kong remains far from a democracy after the Umbrella Movement.
Some people may think it is failure because we can’t achieve the goal of universal suffrage but I am here to tell you today that we the spirit of the movement is in the heart of Hong Kong people. That’s why I have been trying to gather more support at the international level by strengthening our collaboration around the world.
I am glad to see the reintroduction of the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act by Senators Rubio, Cotton and Cardin. Bipartisan support for the bill proves that protecting Hong Kong’s freedoms and autonomy can be—and ought to be—a consensus across the political spectrum. The legislation ensures those who have participated in non-violent assembly in Hong Kong would not be denied American visas on the basis of their criminal records.
Alex Chow, who is in the audience this morning, is another core Umbrella Movement student leader. He was found guilty last July for participating in unlawful assembly, sentenced to three weeks of imprisonment with one year of suspension. Because of Alex’s criminal record, he has faced significant barrier in obtaining a British student visa last year for his master’s studies in London. He was recently accepted for Ph.D. studies at U.C. Berkeley this coming August, which means he will soon apply for a U.S. student visa. I cannot stress the importance of this legislation for many of those like Alex, who may potentially face difficulties entering free countries.
China’s suppression against us is helped by its growing regional domination. Last year, I was invited by top Thai universities, but was not allowed to enter the country and locked up for 12 hours in a detentoin cell. My requests to contact a lawyer or at least notify my family in Hong Kong were both rejected. I was very worried to be the next Gui Min Hai, one of the five booksellers abducted from Thailand to China. Luckily I was finally released, but the Thai government later said that I would be forever banned to enter the country, as requested by China.
If passed, the proposed legislation will place human rights and democracy at the center of future American policy toward Hong Kong. It will send a strong signal to Beijing that as a world leader, the U.S. believes it is just as important to protect political freedom in Hong Kong as it is to protect economic freedom.
The support of the proposed legislation is also in the American interests. Hong Kong is home to around 85,000 U.S. citizens and 1,400 U.S. companies. Two-way U.S.-Hong Kong trade was around $42 billion last year. Most American media outlets, including CNN, the Wall Street Journal, and TIME Magazine establish their Asian offices in Hong Kong. These are all evidence that despite all the difficulties it is facing, Hong Kong remains the freest city under Chinese administration.
In conclusion, I hope democrats and republicans alike can work together to defend the fundamental human rights values they share, which Hong Kongers will continue to fight hard against Communist Regime for the day will come for us with democracy and exercise our right of self-determination.
I started my fight for democracy six years ago when I was 14. The Father of Hong Kong’s Democracy, Martin Lee, is turning 79 years old this year, after four decades of struggle. I wonder, if I come to the age of 79, will I be able to see democracy?
My aspiration, and our generation’s challenge is to ensure that Hong Kong continues as a beacon of human right and freedom for China and the world. To sum up, today the authoritarian regime are dominating our future, but the day will come when we decide the future of Hong Kong.
No matter what happens to the protest movement, we will reclaim the democracy that belongs to us, because time is on our side.
Search