「逮捕されないか毎晩不安」　香港の黄之鋒氏、親中派ギャングから暴言も

【ロンドンＡＦＰ＝時事】香港の民主活動家、黄之鋒（ジョシュア・ウォン）氏（23）は23日、英国のイベントにオンラインで参加し、香港に国家安全維持法（国安法）が施行されてから絶えず逮捕を恐れていると語った。（写真は香港の民主活動家、黄之鋒氏）
　エディンバラ国際ブックフェスティバルにビデオ電話で登壇した黄氏は、イベントへの参加自体にリスクが伴うとしながらも、中国政府が強化する香港への締め付けに声をあげ続けることは自身の義務だと述べた。
　黄氏はまた、イベント登壇の２時間前に中国と香港の二重ナンバープレートをつけた正体不明の車に尾行されたことを明かした。友人らと香港のビクトリアピークを訪れた際には、「親中派ギャング」に写真を撮られ、暴言を吐かれたという。
　黄氏は、国家安全維持法が施行された現状で今後の計画を立てることは困難だと話した。
　今回のような国際イベントでの発言がまだ許されていることが「そもそも奇跡だ」と述べ、「毎晩寝るとき、中国政府が今すぐ逮捕しに来ないか、あるいは黎智英（ジミー・ライ）氏のように、翌朝５時に自宅に押し入ってこないか、不安になる」と明かした。
　黄氏はさらに、習近平国家主席のもとで香港が自由選挙を実施することは「あり得ない」と指摘。一方で、活動家らは前進すべきであり、自身はまだ香港市民への希望を持っていると述べ、「香港はもはや香港ではなくなっているが、香港人の意気があれば、この苦しい闘いの中でもまだ前進できる」と語った。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/08/24-16:49）

Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong told Sunday how he constantly feared arrest following the imposition of a new security law in Hong Kong, in a virtual appearance at British book festival.
The 23-year-old said his very participation in the event might put him at risk, but that it was his duty to keep speaking out about China's tightening grip on the semi-autonomous city.
Wong said that two hours before he appeared at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, he was tailed by an unknown car with a China-Hong Kong licence.
While visiting Victoria Peak in Hong Kong with friends, he said he was photographed and verbally abused by a pro-Beijing gang.
Those are the common tactics that they use to target pro-democracy activists, he said.
Wong said the price he paid in being under surveillance was comparatively small compared to protesters shot with live rounds during demonstrations last year.
But he said it was hard to plan for the future under the threat of the national security law China imposed on Hong Kong in June in response to last year's huge and often violent pro-democracy protests.
He said it was already a kind of miracle that he was still at liberty to speak at such an international event.
Every day I sleep, I also worry will the government come to arrest me immediately, or the day after, storm into my house at 5:00 am just like experienced by Jimmy Lai, he said.
Media mogul Lai was among 10 people detained under the law earlier this month, and the newsroom of his Apple Daily was searched.
- 'Uphill battle' -
Prominent activist Agnes Chow, who like Wong was a key figure in the Umbrella Movement, was also arrested. Both were released on bail.
Wong said the pro-democracy movement was only asking for the autonomy that Beijing promised Hong Kong when it was handed back from Britain in 1997.
We are not asking something that goes too far, he said in the interview conducted by Sophie Richardson, China director of Human Rights Watch.
Wong said he saw no chance for Hong Kong to have free elections under Chinese President Xi Jinping, but said activists should press on, adding that he still had hope in the people of Hong Kong.
Hong Kong is not Hong Kong any more, but with the spirit of Hong Kongers we still go forward in this uphill battle, he said.