Denise Ho Speaks at the United Nations Meeting
On July 8, Hong Kong singer-songwriter Denise Ho (何韻詩) made a speech in front of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland on behalf of UN Watch. Speaking in English, the pro-democracy activist referred to the recent “Fugitive Offenders Regulations” amendment, the one country, two systems promise, and other Hong Kong issues.
During her speech, China’s delegate to the council, Dai Demao (戴德茂), interrupted her twice to object her choice of words. Harald Aspelund, the council’s vice president, only asked Denise to pay attention to the comments made by the Chinese diplomat but allowed her to continue.
After the meeting, the Chinese Foreign Ministry criticized Denise’s remarks, accused her of interfering with China’s internal affairs and sovereignty, as well as tarnishing the human rights situation in China.
In addition, some netizens strongly condemned her speech and even personally attacked her. In fact, a lot of netizens who used simplified Chinese characters left malicious comments on Denise’s Instagram. Supporters of Denise immediately posted in the discussion area, hoping to summon netizens to counter the attacks.
After Denise’s speech, some netizens were worried that she would be obstructed when she returned to Hong Kong, so she promised, “I know that many friends are worried about my safety, but I don’t think they will be that stupid. However, for the sake of everyone, I will announce my safety when I return to Hong Kong.
The star added that the world witnessed Hong Kongers’ persistence on the matter of anti-extradition for the past month. “Our requirements are, in fact, very simple and clear,” she wrote. “The former President Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平) signed the Sino-British Joint Declaration that gave us the right to self-government. It is important to remember that it is not an extra request. It is not confusing; so don’t mix up the situation. China originally promised Hong Kong a true ‘one country, two systems.’”
Denise even commented on Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s “art of language.” She accused Carrie of all talk and no practical action. “Hong Kong people can’t be sent away with just ‘the bill is dead.’ It was skillfully translated. Of course, it’s a tactic to lie to foreign media. If you analyze closely, she was probably not talking to us. She thought she could deceive us… really too simple, sometimes naïve.”
Source: Topick
This article is written by MelodyC for JayneStars.com.
