We endure, in hopes that you will be moved
An open letter to all Hong Kongers
To every citizen of Hong Kong,
In the past two weeks, we have all fought for Hong Kong. We sincerely apologize and seek your forgiveness for all the inconveniences that came as a byproduct of our actions in pursuing justice and freedom.
The blood and sweat of Hong Kong – all for but a petition
In the past week, over a million of us – soaked in blood, sweat, and tears – marched against the government towards the heart of Hong Kong. The people spoke yet our voices were met with excessive police force, igno-rance and empty explanations. One of us who cared about Hong Kong so much he sacrificed his life in a desperate appeal: in hopes of un-veiling the government's blindfold against what will be a detrimental blow to the city, and to plead for many of us who call this place home, that our voices should be listened to and respected.
Despite the violent suppression by the police, even as they mobilized beanbag rounds and rubber bullets that inflicted countless wounds upon the Hong Kong citizens, we maintained our unwavering spirit with deep conviction that a new dawn will arrive. Hong Kong, this tiny city, once again captured the attention of the whole world.
The Government’s Indifference – Our Persistence
Time and again, our government continues to disappoint the “two million and one” who stood up. All of our blood and sweat was ei-ther summarily ignored, or worse, made meaningless by a constant barrage of spin, lies, and trickery.
Answering the wishes of “two million and one” protesters, Carrie Lam’s government offered nothing but circumlocution, insidi-ously trying to look concessionary, whilst twisting each and every one of our demands into something else entirely. The top officials took turns passing the buck, refusing to take responsibility, and collectively approving the use of excessive force by their so-called police force. Let it be known: it is the government’s persistence in ignoring the people, and it is this their persistence alone, that is the root of all our discontent. We, as protesters, are thus forced to escalate. For this, we entreat the general public for your understanding and sympathy.
We reiterate our four demands:
1. Retraction of the Extradition Amend-ment Bill
2. Immediate release from custody of, and promise never to prosecute, all protesters
3. Rectification of classifying June 12 activi-ties as “riots”
4. Investigation of abuse of police power