Carrie Lam is not the leader elected by people of Hong Kong.
Our city finds itself in an uncomfortable place: on the frontline between freedom and auto_cracy.
Hong Kong is different to mainland China. We protect our freedoms. We ask for free elections to elect the leader of our city.
Being an activist is not easy.
The Lantos Human Rights Prize is intended to serve as a beacon of hope, justice and human decency in a world too often covered in a shroud of darkness.
The fight for democracy relies on community support.
I'm convinced democracy will grow from the ground up, from the community.
Historically, Hong Kong has served as an important bridge between China and the world. Our freedoms, stability and the rule of law have been the reasons for our success.
Beyond the barricades we long to see a Hong Kong free from tyranny and a puppet government.
We do not want to see a Hong Kong that enjoys freedoms on paper but whose autonomous status conceals the workings of a totalitarian state.
Some people say that given the government's firm stance against genuine universal suffrage, our demands are impossible to achieve. But I believe activism is about making the impossible possible.
If Hong Kong could exercise democratic self-governance under the sovereignty of China, it would not be necessary for us to take this step on the path toward independence.
Will Beijing really send out the army to suppress our protests? Never say never.
I have experienced threats. Not just to me, but to my family.
I love the sense of belonging in Hong Kong. I love that it is such an international city. I love our food and our language. The people are energetic and passionate. I just really love this city.
Hong Kong people do not keep silent and I urge people around the world to keep their eyes on Hong Kong and the passion with which people are fighting for basic rights. We never give up and we will not be silenced.
We long to have a home where civil freedoms are respected, where our children will not be subject to mass surveillance, abuse of human rights, political censorship and mass incarceration. We stand with all the free peoples of the world and hope you stand with us in our quest for justice and freedom.
In December 2014, during the final days of the Umbrella Movement, prominent signs proclaiming We'll Be Back sprang up along Harcourt Road, one of the three major thruways occupied by peaceful pro-democracy protesters for nearly three months.
China is dead set on making Hong Kong more like it.
Beijing's imperial reach extends far and wide, from Taiwan and Xinjiang to the South China Sea and beyond.
