You might have caught our short ‘vox pops’ with protesters in the early days of the Umbrella Revolution when we heard what some of the thousands of occupiers had to say about democracy and their dreams for universal suffrage in Hong Kong. But now, with the crowds fizzling out and the government’s refusal to meet with the students on Friday, Coconuts HK hit the streets again to meet the hard-core demonstrators still on the streets and ask them some pertinent questions.
Agnes Kwan, 21, (left) and Michelle Chan, 21, (right)
What do you think is going to happen in the next week?
Michelle: We don’t even know what’s going to happen tomorrow! We expect a discussion with government officials, because right now, they’re hiding from us, and soon they’ll run away from their responsibilities. So I guess they should talk to us and negotiate. If we leave now, we’ll have nothing. We’ve already been on the streets for 13 or 14 days, so now we need to have persistence to tell the government that we’re really asking for something.
Why do you care so much about democracy?
Agnes: I think democracy is important because, as citizens, we then bear the responsibility for every choice that we make and for every candidate that we voted in, so that we are actively involved in society. Right now, we’re detached from bureaucracy, and that’s not how a society should work.
Flora Mak, 26
Why are you still protesting?
I am disappointed by the response of the government when they pulled out of the supposed meeting between them and the Hong Kong Federation of Students. If the government doesn’t do anything to entertain us and our rights, that means we still need to persist with this movement instead of not doing anything or just returning to our daily lives.
How do you think democracy will change Hong Kong?
Given our educational background, we are actually brought up with ideas of democracy, with press and academic freedom. And because we want to protect this freedom, we understand what sort of dignity and rights a man is meant to have, and so we will fight for democracy. If we have democracy in Hong Kong, I think it would make every citizen better understand themselves and their relationship to this world. I think the protests will eventually end in a fruitful way!
Benjie Leung, 22
What do you think will happen in the next week?
I hope the government and students can have a talk. While I don’t think this will be very helpful, I still think it should happen. Otherwise, this occupation would just continue without a purpose.
What will happen if you are successful?
We will be able to enjoy a greater degree of freedom. While, nowadays, we do have the freedom of speech, the government is trying to restrict our rising voices. And by changing the system, we may be able to improve our economy. By improving the livelihoods of the components, we can enjoy our lives more, enjoy less pressure, earn more money, and thus do better for our economy.
Tim Kau, 24
Why are you still protesting?
With the government’s decline to meet on Friday, I see no hope. But since we have no other options now, we have no choice but to protest. I’m quite desperate now.
What does democracy mean to you?
Democracy is about power distribution. If democracy really, really happens in Hong Kong, there will be more power distribution, and policies can change and not just favour the rich and the pro-Chinese parties. And resources can be redistributed to the poor.
Cynthia Chan, 22, (left) and Tracy Cheung, 23, (right)
What do you think will be the government’s next move?
Cynthia: I think the government will try to clear the people in Admiralty. But I think that we will still come out and be resistant until the government really makes an effort to have a conversation with us.
What difference will universal suffrage make to your lives?
Tracey: We will at least be able to select the Chief Executive by ourselves. I can’t predict the best candidate, but if he or she does something right or wrong, then to some extent, it is still our responsibility. But if the Chief Executive is appointed by the mainland Chinese government, then Hong Kong is just a puppet. We want the right to make our own choice.
http://hongkong.coconuts.co/2014/10/12/do-you-hear-people-sing-because-theyre-starting-scream-now
