Fight for Hong Kong’s Freedom Wins Cross-Party Support in Australia

Supporters gather during a Rally for Hong Kong outside the State Library of Victoria in Melbourne, Saturday, June 12, 2021. (AAP Image/James Ross)

The fight for Hong Kong’s freedom has found widespread support in the Australian parliament, according to activists who visited the Australian capital of Canberra on Nov. 28 to Dec. 1.

Speaking at an event in Sydney on Dec. 2. Kevin Yam and Finn Lau—two members of the lobbying team—said that Australian parliamentarians were genuinely interested in the current situation in Hong Kong, with activists from the Australia-Hong Kong Link, Victoria Hongkongers, former Hong Kong legislator Ted Hui, and other pro-democracy activists in exile meeting with federal MPs at a frequency of about one every 30 minutes during their visit to the capital.

Cross-Party Policymakers Support for Hong Kongers

Finn Lau, known for advocating the “Lam Chau“ protesting strategy, flew from the United Kingdom for the lobbying and addressed the event with Kevin Yam, a Hong Kong-based lawyer and pro-democracy activist who now resides in Melbourne.

Kevin Yam (R) and Finn Lau (L) shared about their lobbying efforts to win support from the Australian government on Dec. 2, 2022. (Sophia Lam/The Epoch Times)

The two said that although the international community is currently concerned about the Russia-Ukraine war, the situation in Taiwan, and the human rights issues of Uyghurs and Tibetans, the Australian policymakers still expressed a high degree of concern and support for Hong Kong’s struggle for democracy and freedom.

“The Australian political class, across party lines, understands that Hong Kong is an important issue in the China issue,” Yam said. “It is worth concern that a former international financial centre has been turned into such a mess.

“MPs from both big and small parties, as well as independents, believe that Hong Kong should not be abandoned and have expressed their support. They even suggested to the lobbying team how to lobby the Australian government more effectively.”

Yam attributed the positive response to the fact that Australia had gained a better understanding of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)’s nature after the economic and trade sanctions imposed on the country during the past three years.

The team said they also specifically mentioned the current cases of Jimmy Lai and 47 Hong Kong lawmakers during lobbying.

A supporter holds a poster showing some of the 47 pro-democracy activists on trial at the West Kowloon Court in Hong Kong on July 8, 2021, on charges of conspiracy to commit subversion under the national security law for taking part in unauthorised pro-democracy primaries in July 2020. (Anthony Kwan/AFP via Getty Images)

While Lai’s case received widespread attention internationally, legislators are not that familiar with the latter one, in which 47 pro-democracy lawmakers were charged with “conspiracy to commit subversion” under the Hong Kong National Security Law implemented in 2020.

The legislators found it inconceivable that their Hong Kong counterparts could be sued for running for office, realizing that the current judicial situation in Hong Kong is grim, the two said.

‘Courage Can be Passed On’

Lau, who was beaten by the Hong Kong police for participating in the pro-democracy protests in 2019 and suffered from severe depression, said he has come out of the haze and gained a higher understanding of life.

“Dying is as natural as living,” he said.

Speaking of courage, Lau said Hong Kongers should learn from other ethnic groups, such as Uyghurs, who also have families in Xinjiang.

“When they came out to protest, they did not wear masks or wrap themselves up tightly. This courage is worth learning.”

Considering that the number of Hong Konger in Australia is only 100,000, far lower than that in the U.K., the 29-year-old encouraged every Hong Konger in Australia to stand out and get involved in communicating with the political community in the country.

Simon Cheng (front left) and Finn Lau (Center) in a March commemorating the two-year anniversary of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement in London on June 12, 2021. (Yanning Qi/The Epoch Times)

“While fear can be spread, courage can also be passed on,” he said. “If we see anything missing in what others are doing, let’s fix it ourselves.”

‘How Can We Act Worthy of Those Still in Hong Kong?’

In response to one audience member’s concerns about the National Security Law, Yam said everyone has a yardstick in their heart when judging if [their lobbying] is against the law.

“What kind of law is this National Security Law?” he asked.

“We are now overseas, living in a free place. If you do not exercise your freedom [here], then how can we act worthy of those still in Hong Kong?”

Thousands of participants take part in a memorial vigil in Victoria Park on June 4, 2020 in Hong Kong, China to honor the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. (Sung Pi-lung/The Epoch Times)

The two ended the event by suggesting Hong Kongers based in Australia should integrate into their local community, communicate with various groups, preserve Hong Kong’s language, culture, and heritage, and above all, keep going for the democracy and freedom of the city.

Sophia Lam contributed to this report.