Jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong, serving a 10-year sentence in a maximum security prison, shares his profound concern that the world will forget Hong Kong's struggle and the sacrifices made by its people.
Confined within Hong Kong's oldest maximum security prison, pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong, 30, pens letters revealing his fervent desire to remain connected to the outside world and his overriding fear that people will forget Hong Kong and the countless individuals who have paid a price for their beliefs. Wong, who rose to prominence as a teenage face of the democracy movement, has been imprisoned since November 2020. He was recently sentenced to 10 years for foreign collusion, marking his second conviction under Beijing's stringent national security law, to which he pleaded guilty. This new sentence means he will serve his two convictions concurrently, delaying his anticipated release. Despite spending significant birthdays in prison, Wong's letters, seen exclusively by the Guardian, showcase his unwavering resolve. His daily life includes exercising, learning guitar, teaching English to fellow inmates (including a humorous anecdote about defining 'totalitarian'), and a robust reading habit that spans from Triad bosses' borrowed books like 'The Godfather' to memoirs of Alexei Navalny and Nelson Mandela. His friends and fellow activists express sorrow, stating that the Hong Kong they once fought for no longer exists, and suggest that authorities strategically delayed his prosecution to ensure his prolonged incarceration. Wong's case symbolizes Beijing's crackdown on dissent, with over 400 arrests under the national security legislation since its imposition in 2020, silencing opposition and forcing many into exile.
