To truly understand the people of Hong Kong, one cannot overlook this day.
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[6.12 Fourth Anniversary] Did Hong Kong police use appropriate force on 6.12?
To truly understand the people of Hong Kong, one cannot overlook this day.
6.12 marked the awakening of the people of Hong Kong, where they realized the value of freedom. It was a day when they understood that freedom is not bestowed from above, but a hard-fought battle that requires blood and sacrifice.
6.12 is not just a historical record, but also a reminder of pain. Bringing up history always presents a moral dilemma: not discussing it would be a neglect of historical responsibility, yet revisiting it may resurface the trauma.
Nietzsche once said that what is truly unbearable in life is not "pain" itself but the "meaninglessness of pain." In life, we inevitably experience various hardships and pains, but what is truly terrifying is when the pain we experience ultimately becomes meaningless, simply pain, only pain.
6.12, however is not a hollow and void memory of pain.
Philosopher Maragalit, in his book "The Ethics of Memory," likened memory to an adhesive that binds people together. The memory of 6.12 serves the same purpose. Despite the four-year gap, it remains one of the most significant collective memories for the people of Hong Kong, bringing together scattered individuals in the realm of recollection, with images of water, gas masks, umbrellas, and hats...
If anyone doesn't know what 6.12 means, they are not a true Hongkonger, because 6.12 is a symbol, a tattoo, and a searing mark of the people of Hong Kong.
However, while the memory remains, history is rapidly changing. Many websites and sources that once documented that fateful day have vanished. Finding high-quality and comprehensive video footage online has become exceedingly difficult, with search results often dominated by official narratives. Now, even openly and objectively accounting this piece of history carries significant legal risks.
Four years have elapsed, and we find ourselves immersed in a more twisted paradigm and society, surrounded by oppression, control, fear, and violence.
In a society where justice has lost its way, morality has decayed, and our very humanity is compromised, we need more than just the "courage to survive." We require a steadfast "moral courage" that continues to believe in justice, goodwill, and truth—a courage that refuses to succumb to the logic of evil governance and denies the negation of humanity, morality, and trust between individuals.
By upholding this moral courage, there will always be Hongkongers ready to take up the cause until the day when light is restored, and Hong Kong is liberated.
Source: Writer, #Jun12
