白紙に国歌引用…創造力で国家安全維持法に立ち向かう香港人たち

【香港ＡＦＰ＝時事】香港では、中国が導入した国家安全維持法の下で違法となる政治的見解を示した人々の逮捕が始まった。こうした中、香港の人々は異論を唱える創造的な方法を模索している。（写真は香港の飲食店に登場した何も書かれていない付箋が張られた「レノン・ウォール」）
　自治や独立を促し得るあらゆるものが突然、起訴の脅威をもたらすようになった香港では、人々が言葉遊びで欲求不満を表現している。中国共産党の教義でさえ、この動きに利用されている。
　「立ち上がれ、奴隷になることを望まぬ人々よ」──ここ１年、民主化運動の要所となってきた銅鑼湾のにぎやかなショッピング街。多くの人が行き交う橋の上には、中国国歌の冒頭から引用された落書きが登場した。
　落書きは愛国心の強い国家主義者が書いたかもしれないが、十中八九抗議の意を示すものだろう。
　同法は国家の安全を脅かす犯罪として、国家分裂、政府転覆、テロ活動、外国勢力との結託を規定している。規定内容が明らかにされると、ソーシャルメディアやチャット上には、安全な抗議方法を模索する声があふれた。
　民主活動家の陳健民氏は、考えを示すことに慣れている香港人たちは、法の目をくぐる道を探すだろうと語った。同氏は香港の選挙制度の民主化を求めた２０１４年の大規模デモ「雨傘運動」をめぐり、実刑判決を受けている。
　陳氏はＡＦＰに対し「公の場では何も言わないか、『公式に認められた』言葉で身を守ることができる」と語った。「けれども、隠された言葉は法律で禁止できないものだ」【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/07/10-11:41）

Hong Kongers are finding creative ways to voice dissent after Beijing blanketed the city in a new security law and police began arresting people displaying now forbidden political slogans.
Faced with the sudden threat of prosecution for anything that might promote greater autonomy or independence for the restless city, residents are using word play and even subverting Chinese Communist Party dogma to express their frustration.
On a bridge in the busy shopping district of Causeway Bay, a key spot for pro-democracy protests over the past year, traffic thunders past newly daubed graffiti that declares: Arise, ye who refuse to be slaves.
The phrase is taken from the first line of China's national anthem.
And while the graffiti could conceivably have been written by a patriotic nationalist, it is most likely a declaration of dissent.
Social media and chat forums have filled with suggestions for how to find safer ways to protest after Beijing on Tuesday imposed broad legislation banning subversion, secession, terrorism and foreign collusion.
In a semi-autonomous city used to speaking its mind, people will find ways around the law, said Chan Kin-man, a veteran democracy activist who has previously been jailed for his activism.
In a public space, one might either not say anything or use an 'officially-approved' language to protect themselves, he told AFP. But hidden language is something that cannot be banned by laws.
- 'Seize back banana' -
The local government on Thursday said the popular protest slogan Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times would now be deemed illegal.
For some the phrase represents genuine aspirations to split Hong Kong from China, a red line for Beijing, but for many others it is a more general cry for democracy and an expression of rising frustration with Chinese rule.
But coded language is allowing people to keep the slogan alive.
One version GFHG, SDGM uses English letters from the transliterated phrase gwong fuk heung gong, si doi gak ming.
Another more complex example mimics the tone and rhythm of the slogan using the numbers 3219 0246 in Cantonese.
Chinese characters themselves also provide ample room for linguistic subversion.
One phrase people have started adopting online is seize back banana, a play on the similar characters in traditional Chinese for Hong Kong and banana.
Others have gone for English slogans that appear positive but are a clear dig at Beijing -- for example the Trumpian phrase Make Hong Kong Great.
The very first arrest made under the new security law involved a deliberate linguistic challenge.
During protests a day after the law was enacted, police announced they had arrested a man with a flag that read Hong Kong Independence, posting a picture.
But eagle-eyed web sleuths zoomed in on the flag and spotted that a man had written a small No before his much larger phrase.
The same phrase has since gone viral online.
- Blank paper and Mao quotes -
Multiple pro-democracy restaurants and shops across the city have taken down their Lennon Wall displays expressing support for the pro-democracy movement after some were warned by police that they might violate the national security law.
The walls are often made up of colourful sticky notes with protest slogans on them.
One cafe replaced its wall with blank memos.
What is essential is invisible to the eyes, the shop wrote on its Facebook citing popular children's book Le Petit Prince.
Another symbol of defiance that has replaced some protest art across the city is blank white pages.
The gesture represents the inability to speak out and also white terror, a Chinese phrase used to describe political persecution.
Suppression catalyses people to fight back, said Chan, who is also a sociology professor.
He likened the situation with how people in mainland China reveal dissent or anger towards the government with a wink and a nod.
Hong Kong people will definitely respond more actively, it's just that it might happen in a grey area.
A slogan that went viral this week was a quote by Chinese dictator Mao Zedong.
It read: Those who suppress the student movements will not come to a good end.