“Leaving Hong Kong was the most difficult decision of my life,” says Ray Wong, founder of Hong Kong Indigenous, a party that has been at the forefront of protests to demand autonomy…

Hong Kong: exile Ray Wong expects mass exodus

Audio 03:30

Ray Wong, Hong Kong activist.

By: Heike Schmidt Follow

8 min

“Leaving Hong Kong was the most difficult decision of my life,” says Ray Wong, founder of Hong Kong Indigenous, a party that has been at the forefront of protests to demand autonomy for the former British colony.

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Ray Wong, a 27-year-old activist, had to resign himself to exile, to avoid a prison sentence.

Ray Wong was the first Hong Kong citizen to be granted asylum in Germany.

From Göttingen where he studies, he intends to help other Hong Kongers to flee their country.

A massive exodus is, according to him, inevitable.

RFI: You were the first Hong Kong activist to seek asylum in Germany.

What prompted you to leave

Ray Wong

In 2016, following demonstrations organized by my party, I was prosecuted for inciting and participating in riots, also for organizing illegal gatherings.

It could have earned me up to 10 years in prison.

I knew I wouldn't get a fair trial in Hong Kong.

This is why I applied for asylum in Germany.

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: Trial in China of pro-democracy activists from Hong Kong

: "

there is great concern in Hong Kong about the independence of the judiciary

"

I was convinced that this country attaches great importance to values such as human rights and freedom.

So I was sure I would get asylum there.

The Chinese authorities, however, tried to dissuade the German government from accepting my request.

But Berlin did not give in to this pressure and therefore welcomed me as a refugee.

Today, do you still feel watched over by China, despite the protection of Germany which granted you political asylum in 2018

Absolutely.

In fact, ever since the Hong Kong National Security Committee put me on the fugitive list, I have noticed suspicious activity on my phone, my Telegram email account and also my email account.

I have since suspected the Chinese government of hacking all my accounts.

To be able to continue our fight, one of us had to go and tell our story to the whole world.

- Ray Wong, Hong Kong activist

Leaving Hong Kong meant abandoning the pro-autonomy

Hong Kong Indigenous party

that you founded and which was dissolved after you left.
A difficult decision to make

?

It was the most difficult decision of my life.

Running away from Hong Kong might have meant never being able to return to my homeland again, never seeing my friends or some of my family, like my grandmother who is already elderly.

I struggled with myself for quite a while.

During this time of uncertainty, I couldn't sleep or eat and lost a lot of weight.

But speaking with many people, including non-governmental organizations and politicians, I finally made the decision to leave.

To be able to continue our fight, one of us had to go and tell our story to the whole world.

Since Göttingen, where you are studying, have you been helping other Hong Kong activists prepare for their departure

Yes, I maintain a support platform called "

Haven assistance"

Our goal is to educate Hong Kong activists about the right to asylum in many countries.

Since we founded this news site last July, we have already received several thousand requests.

This enormous interest makes us think that many Hong Kongers, especially young people, will seek asylum in Western countries, as soon as we have overcome the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is why I work closely with the NGO Hong Kong Watch

based in London.

► Also to listen: Hong Kong, exile at all costs

In particular, we call on Germany to simplify its asylum procedure for Hong Kong citizens.

We also hope that other member countries of the European Union will grant easier asylum procedures to Hong Kong refugees.

Frequency Asia - Hong Kong: exile Ray Wong expects a mass exodus

Hong Kong: exile Ray Wong expects mass exodus

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