Taipei, Taiwan – “Should I stay or should I go?” This is the question many Hong Kong youth face 25 years after the city returned to Chinese rule.
At the time of the transfer in 1997, Beijing promised the former British colony 50 years of self-government, as well as civil and political rights that do not exist on mainland territory ruled by the Communist Party. But the intensification of Beijing’s crackdown on city freedoms, including a national security law passed in 2020 that has virtually eliminated all dissent, has irrevocably altered the lives of the people of Hong Kong.
“The things we assumed would always be here gradually faded, like the system itself, like freedom of speech, freedom of the press, all of that, and we lost faith in our government,” Iris said. a 25-year-old girl. Hong Konger who was born in the year of the move.
“Overall, our generation is pretty desperate for the future,” he said, urging that only his name be used. The office worker said many people in Hong Kong see their generation as “damn”.
Hong Kongers born approximately at the time of the transfer grew up in an atmosphere of resistance to the invasion of Beijing in their lifestyle. They were children during the mass demonstrations against a national security bill in 2003 and teenagers during the 2014 Occupy Central protests sparked by Beijing’s refusal to allow direct elections for the city leader.
These demonstrations were followed in 2019 by mass protests against plans to allow extraditions to the mainland. The protests, which began peacefully before falling into violence, expanded to include calls for greater autonomy and even Beijing’s independence.
Beijing responded the following year by imposing draconian national security legislation banning vaguely defined acts of subversion, secession, terrorism, or collusion with foreign forces. Since then, most of the city’s political opposition has been imprisoned or forced into exile, dozens of civil society organizations have been disbanded, and critical and independent media have been forced to close. . With a radical reform of the electoral system, only candidates considered “patriots” can run for seats in the city’s legislative chamber.
Hong Kong’s Occupy Central protests in 2014 were sparked by Beijing’s refusal to allow direct elections for the city’s leader. [File: Daniel J. Groshong/Bloomberg]
In the context of declining freedoms, nearly 60 percent of young people expressed a desire to emigrate in 2021, according to a survey by the Chinese University of Hong Kong. As a group, Hong Kong youth are more politically active than older residents, with surveys conducted in 2019 showing that 87 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds supported pro-democracy and pro-democracy protests. 63 percent said they had personally participated.
Hong Kong residents under the age of 25 have fewer options to escape the city’s new political reality than older residents. While those born before 1 July 1997, the transfer is entitled to a British national passport abroad, which since last year offers a route of residence in the UK, younger residents must look for work, studies or family channels to emigrate.
“As someone who was born in 1997, sometimes you feel like your future has already been decided by people who were born before 1997 and you’re not part of the conversation about what your future will be like,” Anna said. who asked to be so. identified only by its first name.
The 25-year-old political activist has been living in exile outside Hong Kong since he became involved in managing the Telegram channels that were used to organize the 2019 protests. These activities have led other protesters to long sentences. prison.
Anna said the decision had been difficult for her and her family, a decision that not all Hong Kong youth are capable or prepared to make.
Gary Pui-fung Wong, a professor at the University of Leeds, whose research includes Hong Kong’s cultural history, said the combined pressures of being Hong Kong and a young person are a powerful mix.
Many 20-year-olds are going through a transition phase as they begin to think more seriously about their future careers and family prospects, Wong said. Even before 2019, he said, this was difficult in Hong Kong, where renting, let alone buying, an apartment is beyond the reach of most young people.
“Right now they have to consider the future of the city on their own personal plan,” Wong told Al Jazeera.
“If Hong Kong’s integration into mainland China continues, that city may be facing some fundamental change, so they need to think about migration and especially whether the UK and Canada are opening up options for some. [university] graduates to move ”.
Tens of thousands have left Hong Kong due to the imposition of a draconian national security law and some of the world’s longest-lasting COVID restrictions [File:Justin Chin/Bloomberg]
For Hong Kong youth who have chosen to stay in the city, some have found a purpose through the city’s localist movement. The movement, which emerged over the past 15 years, has sought to preserve the difference between Hong Kong and mainland China, whether it be Cantonese language, colonial-era architecture or cha chaan teng cafes serving Cantonese hybrid cuisine. -western.
Jen, a 25-year-old Hong Kong woman who runs a cultural space and researches Hong Kong culture, said exploring the city’s culture can allow for a minimum of free speech even if openly political activism is restricted.
“I think a lot of people talk about emigrating elsewhere, but I think after 2019, a lot of people have also been interested in – or feel the importance of – researching and understanding Hong Kong culture,” he told Al Jazeera . .
“I feel like there is something that can be done [here], giving space to different cultural events. We cannot hold large-scale protests or celebrate June 4th [the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square killings in Beijing], but that doesn’t mean everything has stopped. I want to keep doing things on a small scale. “
Olivia, a media worker born around the time of the transfer, said that as she mentally prepares for more draconian changes, such as the closure of her media, she has found solace in her community.
“It simply came to our notice then [heard]we can still connect with the people around us, “Olivia told Al Jazeera, requesting that reference be made to her name only.
Recalling a recent visit to a friend serving a prison sentence for his political activism, he said he realized the importance of staying in Hong Kong to support his friends in difficult circumstances.
“Even though we can’t touch each other [when I visited], we could only see each other and talk to each other, we were connecting. I see him smile, “he said.” I can hear his voice, and that’s very important. That’s one of the reasons I’m still in Hong Kong. “