politics

Hong Kong activist Agnes Chow thanks Japanese for support

37 Comments
By Linda Sieg

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© Thomson Reuters 2020.

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37 Comments
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how come no "free jimmy lai" hashtags trending on twitter ? only trending for this pretty japanese speaking girl ?

周庭氏の逮捕に抗議する FreeAgnes

please emigrate here, she will fit in right away, japan needs her talents. cheers.

21 ( +24 / -3 )

CHINA IS A LOSER.

16 ( +20 / -4 )

The arrest and release of these activists was just China ‘ Flexing it’s muscle ‘. Anges release has nothing to do with the Japanese being vocal about it. Sooner or later China will throw these activists in their prison because China isn’t afraid of anyone. Even the US can’t do anything about it despite having the strongest military in the world. US can’t go to war with China or Russia because nobody will win that. Anges has been given a warning by the Chinese Government that she has to shut up or the next time she’ll be thrown in prison and disappear from this earth. Japan can protest all it wants about this matter but it’s not going to change anything. Come to think of it Japan can’t even protect its own island territory from China so how can they protect these activists. To add on if Japan had similar activist organizing mass protest and media releases against their own Government then surely the Government would have thrown them in prison already. Japan has some protest but these are nothing spectacular and once in a blue moon. These are also so well organized and very peaceful. So the Japanese authorities don’t take much action. But if it was as bad as the once in HK then the protesters would be thrown in prison and the keys thrown away. We live in a society of hypocrisy where if China does something it’s always wrong but if Japan or America does the same it’s ok. But despite this, China doesn’t care about what others think of them.

15 ( +19 / -4 )

And it should be noted that Ms. Chow gives interviews in nearly flawless English as well. Definitely someone with a bright future ahead of them.

11 ( +25 / -14 )

Funny how Japanese people can be vocal about the politics of another country but are silent about their own

Cute young girl that speaks Japanese. No surprise why Japanese like her, and it has nothing to do with politics.

10 ( +15 / -5 )

Cute young girl that speaks Japanese. No surprise why Japanese like her, and it has nothing to do with politics.

They think it’s cute a woman is getting into politics, the male’s sphere in Japan.

Chow isn't popular in Japan for her political views. Most young Japanese probably think she's a gravure idol

If she makes it on Japanese TV, they’ll be sure to have her sit in a skirt with her hands neatly folded to block the beaver. TV stations know what the Japanese audience wants. Tease and you’ll please.

Democracy my fanny.

10 ( +12 / -2 )

Vince BlackToday  04:20 pm JST

Funny how Japanese people can be vocal about the politics of another country but are silent about their own

Despite of many problems in Japan, we can enjoy freedom and democracy in Japan. What you are saying is way different from what is happening in Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, etc... where those countries are being threatened by tyrants from China and North Korea every year.

7 ( +20 / -13 )

Good for the Japanese, support her even if China says its interfering in their internal affairs! People overseas have a right to believe in their own views. The world needs to stand up against institutionalized authoritarianism. China hates bad press and this is one way to do it, support its so-called enemies of the state. She and many other like need more international support.

6 ( +19 / -13 )

Funny how Japanese people can be vocal about the politics of another country but are silent about their own

Hogwash. A plurality of Japanese people voice their discontent at the Japanese govt every election by not voting for the LDP. Twitter discontent is as useful as a baby's diaper.

6 ( +18 / -12 )

Her passport was confiscated.

That means she’s not able to visit Japan.

I wish the final sentence will be soft one...

6 ( +16 / -10 )

Yes. She should be thankful and very proud of herself. Very brave IMO. With international public support and being in the spotlight she has so far avoided the fate being whisked away into China where the less fortunate sometimes do a disappearing act. Let's hope the title Goddess of Democracy will protect her.

6 ( +18 / -12 )

I hope Chow Ting continues to be a thorn in China's side.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Funny how Japanese people can be vocal about the politics of another country but are silent about their own

4 ( +29 / -25 )

Chow last posted on her Japanese-language Twitter account on June 30, saying, "As long as we live, there is hope."

Courageous young woman!

May her struggle be successful.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Did Beijing just blink?

That was a quick release, and good to see.

However, Agnes Chow has only been released on bail, so she could still be rearrested at Beijing's whim whenever it suits them. Keep up the pressure on China, world.

3 ( +21 / -18 )

Chow, 23, a fluent Japanese speaker dubbed the "goddess of democracy" by Japanese media

Hypocrites! Just interested in her because she happens to speak Japanese and they want to link that fact to her action so that they can portrayed themselves as having anything to do with the fight for freedom that people like Agnes Chow represents. But the same media and Japanese people did not bother to ask why there isn't a so-called "goddess of democracy" in Japan, the country where the government has voted a few years ago laws against people and journalists who would make public so-called and vaguely defined sensitive and secret informations with journalists facing up to 5 years of prison. Yeah Japan, hopefully being infected by hypocrisy is not deadly.

3 ( +21 / -18 )

Agnes Chow is so popular in Japan because she speaks good Japanese. Her good looks couldn’t have hurt either. Reading some of the posts, I get the impression that some people don’t like to see Chinese and Japanese joining together for a cause.

3 ( +18 / -15 )

They like the other Agnes too, the one from the 70’s who sings and dances like Keyakizaka, Nogizaka, or AKB48. The Japanese have an idol fetish. That’s the buzz with Agnes Chow and she knows that.

2 ( +14 / -12 )

Funny how Japanese people can be vocal about the politics of another country but are silent about their own

The HK security law matters to Japanese people as it also targets foreigners within and beyond its jurisdiction (on highly dubious account). It's not about the politics of another country. Japanese people deserves to express concerns.

in Japan, the country where the government has voted a few years ago laws against people and journalists who would make public so-called and vaguely defined sensitive and secret informations with journalists facing up to 5 years of prison.

It's unfair and irrelevant to bring the Japanese case here. Similar, stricter laws do exist in many free democratic countries. The legislation was passed in 2013 (not "a few years ago") with checks, through open debates, in due process, embracing sheer criticism including mass demonstrations. The law is carefully implemented; so far no single person has been charged.

By contrast, the HK security law, made into implementation almost overnight, has already got many pro-democracy residents arrested. During the "swift" legislation process, HK people were never notified at all of its contents. It is not yet well-known on what specific course of action got Agnes Chou charged. Some experts suspect that the law can be applied to her retrospectively (prior to the 1st of July, 2020). Such is highly unlikely in many other democratic and transparent societies in rule of law.

2 ( +14 / -12 )

What is going on with all the downvotes for comments praising Agnes Chow and criticizing China? It sure seems like the Chinese governments has mobilized its 50-centers and nationalists to downvotes any disapproval of China. On other Japan Today articles on democracy, you never see such systematic downvoting of pro-democracy comments.

Agnes Chow, just like Jimmy Lai, deserve our support. All they have done is express their support for freedom and democracy. But the Communist Party of China is so worried about free speech that it can't stand its views being opposed.

2 ( +15 / -13 )

The CCP-Chinese are afraid of her and have to do everything they can to neutralize her impact on HK politics. The laws which allow the current govt to disqualify election candidates will be their main tool, followed by the anti-democracy laws. She will be arrested for every anti-CCP statement made. Get used to it. After 10-20 arrests, she will "disappear" or be beaten by paid CCP thugs. If she comes back, they will threaten her family, if they remain in HK/Macau.

The CCP-Chinese are following their playbook. Discredit, arrest, intimidate, and beat, over and over, until the individual gives up.

The 五毛 are doing a fantastic job?

Appears JT is being DDoS'd.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Terrorists have no borders.

0 ( +9 / -9 )

As an English speaker, maybe I can jump on the Chow bandwagon too!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@daito_hak, damn awesome post!

-2 ( +12 / -14 )

I honestly couldn't sleep the other night thinking about her and Jimmy Lai locked up in a communist controlled prison. Both are courageous people, and maybe Mr. Lai even moreso as he has more to loose and was the only wealthy Hong Kong business person to vocally oppose the Communists. I fear for both of them and admire them greatly.

-2 ( +7 / -9 )

"Hints of Aung san suu kyi spring to mind when I look deeper into this. We should not expect too much from Agnes. Let's just hope she gets out of this alive and free. But in the future if you hear things like her being elected to office or something, let's not get carried away and remember Aung san suu kyi, she completely abandoned the plight of the rohingya in Myanmar, and for what? Fear, pressure and enticement."

Or she could end up being another Vaclav Havel. He had been a thorn in the Soviets side for decades. He was in the gulag when the Iron Curtain came down and literally went from being a prisoner to the President of Czechoslovakia in 100 days. Read his writings if you have a chance. He is one of the moral giants of our time. I hope to see both Jimmy Lai and Agnes Chow counted with Havel as among the great anti-communist leaders.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

One wonders what Vaclav Havel would tell her and Jimmy Lai were he still alive?

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

"Twitter discontent is as useful as a baby's diaper."

I assume you mean a dirty diaper. As a parent I can assure you clean diapers readily available are more valuable than gold when you have a little tyke who isn't yet potty trained. Thanks for a little chuckle however.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

shoganai:

how come no "free jimmy lai" hashtags trending on twitter ?

Sorry but Agnes is Joan of Arc. And he is not. Just like the Statue of Liberty, the symbol of liberty has been a goddess, a lady, since Roman Empire. And do not underestimate the power of symbolism.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libertas

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

I notice that most of these posts are supporting both Agnes Chow & HK itself.

but there are an awful lot of down votes.

Who are these downvoters ?

-8 ( +5 / -13 )

Only way freedom will be achieved is through revolution, something Chinese have experienced with, America help is worthless at best

-10 ( +3 / -13 )

Funny how Japanese people can be vocal about the politics of another country but are silent about their own

This is an oft quoted falsehood about Japan that continues to be perpetuated by some on this website, that is easily refuted by a simple online search (and these are just a few examples out of many). It truly is frightening how misinformation is casually spread online, misinformation that many people readily accept at face value even though there is a mountain of evidence that clearly disproves them.

"Huge protest in Tokyo rails against PM Abe's security bills"

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-politics-protest/huge-protest-in-tokyo-rails-against-pm-abes-security-bills-idUSKCN0QZ0C320150830

"Anti-racism marches urges Japan to reflect on past:

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/community/2020/07/12/general/anti-racism-marches-urge-japanese-history/

Thousands in Japan anti-nuclear protest two years after Fukushima"

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-protest/thousands-in-japan-anti-nuclear-protest-two-years-after-fukushima-idUSBRE92903Y20130310

-11 ( +3 / -14 )

People here would think she’s cute and would all the more pay huge respect for what she’s doing, but it is not as if she is taking the whole nation by storm. Sadly, the degree of interest people have towards “foreign” issues, whether it be China or the US is tremendously low. Who could blame them, relatively happy and satisfied with the things they already have here.

-11 ( +2 / -13 )

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