Hong. Kong is under attack. Chinese. Communist Party is imposing its tyranny, on the city but. The resistance is on the rise. This. Is China uncensored I'm Chris Chappell ken music changed, the world who, knows but, it might be able to at least change, Hong Kong, that's, what Denis Ho Hos she's, one of the biggest pop stars in Hong Kong she, also had a huge following in mainland China but. She put all that at risk by joining the 2014. Umbrella movement a student-led, movement, to bring democracy to, Hong Kong the, movement was not well, received by, those in power for. Resisting, Beijing's, pressure Denise, who found herself on the wrong side of the law and then, the Chinese commies, party cancelled her tours in China and blocked, her social media accounts, that hasn't stopped her from standing, up for human rights I sat. Down with the Nisei at the odds of Freedom Forum to talk about the future of Hong Kong. Thanks. For joining me today Denise thank you so. Recently. Two, people. From Hong Kong have come, out and said that they got asylum. In. Germany how, does it feel to have Hong Kong be a place that people get asylum from now. Well. You know it's it's, pretty ironic that. Because. We right, now we are, in face, of. This. Extradition law that. Is you. Know the Hong. Kong government is trying to impose. On us and. You. Know but, next week, actually we will be having a very big protest, in, Hong Kong so. You. Know we we are fighting. Still. After, five. Years. From. The umbrella movement even, though it's. A pretty. Dim. Situation. Right now in Hong Kong since like, we try to shout. Out our. Opinions. But the, Hong Kong government is just not listening, do, you think it's possible to get a fair, trial, in Hong Kong now I mean there's been legislators, who have been kicked out of office. Briella movement, leaders who have been arrested and detained is. The. Court still free. Well. It really depends, you know web which judge. You get okay well that that is my opinion like if you are. If. You are you, know lucky, fortunate, enough then you might get a judge that is unbiased, and then, he, would he or she would probably you. Know look, at the facts but, you. Know from. My point of view I think that, some, of the trials that went, on during these, five years were, quite, biased. And. Like. Say for. The the, Mongkok, fishpaw. Revolution. You, heard of it I have, why, don't you say well yeah the the for the Mongkok, fishball, Revolution there, were like.
Students. And, young. Generations. Who were sentenced, for up, to seven. Or eight, years so, I, mean, they they, probably had, to be prosecuted. You know for for, the, hassle that, happened. That that night but. Is. It fair to have such, a you. Know heavy. Sentence, and you. Know we compared, it a lot to what happened in. 1967. When. You. Know there, was a revolution. Back. Then with you, know, homemade. Bombs, and all that and even, back then the sentences, were not, as strong as it is now so. And. Just, recently the umbrella nine the, activists, who were involved. In the umbrella movement, they, were prosecuted. And also, sentenced, for a. Lesser. Sentence, but still you know they they. They, were sentenced for. Half. A year or, so and. But. The fact is the, umbrella movement was, not really. Started. Because of them they. Were just put. On to the stage you know just for intimidating. You, know the Hong Kong people so that we we. Won't you, know get in, to another, revolution. Like the umbrella movement yeah, and I know you were one of the few Kanto pop singers, who. Openly. Came out in support of the umbrella movement and at the time the South China Morning Post said, that was career suicide, so, what, made you do that was it. Was the, moment when, I saw the. Police, throw, the 87, tear gas bombs onto, the. Peaceful, protesters, that, you know I was just so, angry. At that moment because, you. Know it might seem not, much, you, know for other places, where you get, tear. Gas pumped all the time but. For, Hong Kong you know it's it's we never. Saw you know such a, harsh. Reaction. From the, government, and, you. Know the, fact that the people who were on the streets you know they were just everyday. Normal. People, they had nothing they had no weapons whatsoever, and, for. The police to react in such a way it was it. Was so you. Know we, got, so angry and we were so frustrated, and. You. Know the the emotions, that came out that day and on, that moment I, decided. You know no. Just I don't care anymore, you know about, what, repercussions that, might come if. I spoke out yeah. So. Was it career suicide. Yeah. Have. You know suicide on. The, glamorous. And, extravagant. Side where, you know I would get. Commercials. And, you, know. The. The easy, revenue, you know that that came from China that was, you know totally, cut off yeah yeah you can tour as much in China or at all I cannot, even get into China yeah, I would spend totally. And I, was labeled. Hong. Kong poison. That's, right, and. But. On the other hand I you. Know I started. My. Revolution. Of my own in the entertainment business, and. You. Know and in 2016. When, I. Was. Supposed to have a concert. In the Hong Kong Coliseum the, the biggest venue in Hong Kong and normally. You would have sponsors, you know backing. You up buying. Some, of the tickets and I, got none of that so, what. I did was I started a, campaign, to crowd. Sponsor. The concert, and I broke up you know if like. Normally, the sponsorships, would be 1, million Hong, Kong dollars then, I broke it up into super. Small pieces. And. I. You. Know I offered it to local businesses, and in. The end we got 300, local businesses, who, backed us and also. Fifty. Thousand. Tickets sold out in ours that's, incredible, I almost. Wish more. Western, businesses, would hear that so, they might think twice about like, oh there are options beside just. You. Know. Well. On. The other hand is because I have a strong, fan base so, I was pretty. Confident, that even. When. I'm banned from China they would be supporting, me but, the key is you know you have to you. Have to be really flexible you. Cannot ride. On the old ways and, you, know you have to play a completely. Different game from, what. The traditional. Music scene is doing yeah, well considering the levels of influence, the Chinese Communist Party is having in Hong Kong have, you ever considered singing. Mainly, and Mandarin, well, I did release two Mandarin, albums but, that, was mainly for, Taiwan. You know the Taiwan market. And. Also before the umbrella. Movement I was touring in, China I had, this, theatre. Piece, called. What. Was it called Gobbo yo jab, oh yeah. And it. Was. And. So. You know I I toured, for three. Years, in different. Cities, of China. And I actually gathered, you know quite a number of fans during, the, pre the Prix umbrella. Movement years, so.
You. Know the the thing that I I. You. Know I feel it's, a shame is that I cannot, reach, these fans as, much right. Now but. You, know they. They. Get through you know they they they, find. Ways to get, in touch with me oh yeah, they have you know the VPN, yes in China and, they, just use that and you know you see all these, comments. On Instagram Facebook. And they, are the, support, from China. But, also at the same time you know the we. Call them the $0.50 like those who China, uncensored we no. No. It's it's quite, ironic because, they. Have to get through the wall to. Come you, know on the platforms, man in Chinese yes to criticize. Well. To criticize, Hong Kong poison, you know it's worth. So. I know your family originally, flood China, to Hong Kong to escape the Chinese Communist Party and when it got close to the handover they went, to Quebec, right yes. Why. Did you go back to Hong Kong well. This is something, that my. Dad always. You know, he's. On me, all the time you know because they, they. Used, up you know some of money for, us to get away from Hong, Kong and then I was the reason that you know they, everyone, is back in Hong Kong because of me so. But. The reason why, I decided. To go back to Hong Kong was, my. Attachment, to the, Cantonese. The Cantopop music. Scene as. My. Childhood. Teenage, idol, was, the Kanto. Pop diva Anita. Mui and so. In, 1996. I decided, to, get. Back to Hong Kong to do. The contest, that she did 15, years ago and. By. Accident I won we. Mean by accident, well you know I was just a fan, using. My. ID oh and, I just wanted, to you. Know get in touch with her try to get. The glimpse of her but, well. Of course I. Loved. Singing, and performing and. But. The main reason was because I wanted to see, my idol yeah, so, but. You, know fate, happened. And I won and so I stayed, in. Hong Kong since. 1997. So, I I. Went. Back from. 1997. And I started my music career since. Then how. Many years ago 15. 20. Ish yeah. I. Know. After, the umbrella, movement ended, there was sort of this. Idea. That, the, young people of Hong Kong gave up or they were defeated, is that, true. In. A, way yes like, it was quite gloomy and, difficult. Very. Difficult five, years I. Mean. At first I. Think. The first two years people, were still fighting like people, got, really angry, and frustrated and, so, there, were, different. Ways you know some people got very violent. And well. Violent, in the Hong Kong way, and. You. Know they were quite, heavily. Criticised. By. You. Know the the pro-beijing. Parties. Which. They, and, they they used that as you. Know a to to towards me reverie yes yes and. So. That. Was when the prosecution, and, you. Know the political reprisal, happened, and you. Know all those names that were. Detained. And arrested on. During. The the umbrella, movement, the.
Some. Of them which out and then some of them were were, you know sentenced. To two, different, periods. Of time and. These two, years like, it's been quite. Depressing. Depressing. Time, for. The. Hong Kong people and especially the, younger, generations, like, I, have. Friends. With, families. Who. Chose, to leave, once, again, the. City like, you know it like when my family did in the 80s, and. Most. Of them are young families, with. Young children because. You, know it's is I could, understand, you know I could I could relate to them because if, I had, children, right. Now I would be quite worried, you know about, what, education they, would be getting from. The, Communist. Hong Kong government and. You. Know there are. There. Are. Much. Lesser, discussion. About, what, people, should do. In. These times because, you. Know in a way we. Have tried, a lot of things and it, just didn't work because, we don't have the, democracy. System that. We wish we had and so the, Kong Kong government they just, they. Just do what they want you know they just they are not listening and. You. Know they are passing. Laws. Quite. Unjustifiably. And. And. They're changing, laws in, favour of the, Beijing government well. With the new extradition law, has that changed how people feel because I know there was another big, protest, that because, of that yes. In. The way yes you know the if discussions, are, warming. Up now, and. You. Know personally. I hope, that. You. Know after these different, periods of frustration disappointment, that. People. Would come to, realize. That this is a very, long war. You know this is a very long battle that. Cannot, be won won, a very. Long battle that cannot be won you know just, within. One or two years it's. A very. Difficult. Process. And I. Think you, know Hong Kong people are learning and. We. Are we are a. Population. That is. Educated. To to, be. Quick. And you. Know instantaneous. So, you. Know this this, this, thought and notion. Of patience. Is just, not, very, we're, just very not accustomed. To that so. Like. We are learning to be more patient and to, work. Our way through these. Very difficult issues, and. Yeah. Just a. A few, weeks ago we had the first protest, for the extradition law, and. You. Know that wisdom. Since, the umbrella movement that, was the first. Time. That the. Number, of people surpassed. A hundred. Thousand, and you know that is, encouraging. You know for for for, those, who had been you know still working hard at it and so. We hopefully, the, next protest, on, the, 9th of June and would. Gather, more, people and, even. Though you, know we know that a protest, is not might, not change a lot of things but, you, know personally, I think it is. A. Of. Unity. And where, you know people can, see each other and then, we can we. Can back get back into you know that notion of we, are not alone and we are, we. Are still here we're still numbered, and you. Know something, can still be done what. Kind of support for Hong Kong would you like to see in the international, community oh. Well. You know as someone who has been, no.
Banned And. Rejected. By global. Brands, I think. You know there is power in. International. Unity, because, what, I see is you. Know people, are afraid of losing, the China market so. No. Brands. And businesses they, choose to not speak, and this. Choose to stand. On the side of. Money. So. I, think if the, international. Market they they. Realize, that you know there are other, choices. You, know I don't mean we have to to. Ignore, the China market you know that is just part of the international. Market and so, you. Know when, people realize. That that, is not the only choice and we. Have more. Important. Values. And, things. That we should focus on I. Think that, might. Gradually. You, know be be, a force, that you. Know we, could we. Could rely, on each other you know to to. Gain back some of them the. Values. And the virtues. That, those. Are are so important. To us so. Where do you see Hong Kong in 2047. In. 2047. Ah. That. Is that's, that year yeah that is. You. Know that is something that I really, have no answer for I. Know. I I I, know what the reality, is but. At the same time I I, am, still optimistic, in. The way that, you. Know I mean, even the tyrants, the the, big machines, there, are people, behind it and so, in. The, way you know people. Make mistakes and people. Make, decisions, that, drive. Things in you, know various. Ways so. Now. Like how, many ways years we have. 20-ish. I can't do that yeah and. You. Know so a lot could happen in. This period of time and I. Try, to stay, not. Positive, but optimistic. You, know and I, mean we have to keep this up - up, - up. Optimism. We. Have to keep this you know the thought that we. Can make, a change even, though it might be baby steps, but, I think. You, know the, power is, really. Within. The people, and if. We do not give up then you, know who knows maybe. Something. Would change along, the way I think. That's a great note to end this interview on thank you so much and, you, know keep up the good work in Hong Kong okay. Thank. You.
2019-06-08