A mysterious ad that dominated an entire A9 page of the New York Times two days ago has piqued the interest of those tuning into the tension rising between Hong Kong and mainland China. The ad artwork, confirmed to be by prominent political cartoonist Zunzi, features a hand clutching a single red rose, smashing through a white paper. Underneath is a single sentence: ‘For more information on Hong Kong’s struggle for free and fair elections please contact dignitynow2014@gmail.com’
There are rumours that one of the people responsible for the ad is Next Media chairman Jimmy Lai, who is known for being a staunch supporter of democracy. However, when reached for comment by Coconuts, the anonymous campaigners simply said “Focus on [the] message, not the messenger”.
This approach is all too familiar – in late March, Taiwanese netizens published a full page announcement in the New York Times to raise awareness of the Sunflower Movement, which protested the passing of the cross-strait service trade agreement between Taiwan and China. The decision to publish these ads in a renowned international paper is twofold, according to the Dignitynow campaigners.
“We see the value in letting the world know our situation. Part of the allure of this campaign is for China to know they cannot stop all. Hong Kong [is] a dangerous place now” they said.
This is not unfounded, as despite Article 27 of Hong Kong Basic Law, which states that ‘Hong Kong residents shall have freedom of speech, of the press and of publication’, Hongkongers are aware now more than ever that central government has no qualms about exercising its power where it sees fit, a message that many have taken away from the white paper recently issued by central government.
This is the very same white paper referenced in the ad, released less than two weeks ago in what 93% of South China Morning Post readers voted as a carefully timed attempt to curb the upcoming referendum on universal suffrage in Hong Kong. The white paper, which stressed China’s “comprehensive jurisdiction” over Hong Kong, was seen by Hongkongers as an attempt to undermine Hong Kong Basic Law. Along with this, recent events, such as the cyber-attack on the mock Occupy Central poll and Next Media Group’s websites, as well as the online censorship of a promotional video for the Alliance of True Democracy, would suggest that the call for democracy in Hong Kong is being viewed as a real threat by those who oppose it.
SEE ALSO:
Reader Interactions