Senator de Lima welcomes release of Hong Kong activist
Published Jun 19, 2019 12:08 am
By Hannah Torregoza
Detained Senator Leila de Lima on Tuesday welcomed the release of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong, leader of the famous Occupy protests in the semiautonomous Chinese territory in 2014, from prison saying his leadership should set as an example to all Filipinos.
Sen. Leila de Lima (PRIB Photo by Alex Nuevaespaña / File Photo MANILA BULLETIN)
“This is a monumental victory for democracy, not just for Hong Kong, but for all freedom-loving people from different parts of the world,” De Lima said in a statement.
“Ang pagpapalaya kay Joshua Wong ay sumisimbolo, hindi lang sa laban ng mga taga-Hong Kong para sa kanilang karapatan, kundi ito’y napakahalagang bahagi ng kasaysayan sa ating laban para mapanatili ang demokrasya at kalayaan, (Joshua Wong’s release symbolizes, not only Hong Kong’s fight for their rights, but is also an important part of our fight to sustain freedom and democracy),” the senator added.
Wong, 22 years old, was finally released from prison after serving one month of a two-month jail term in relation to the 2014 Occupy protests which called for universal suffrage in Hong Kong.
However, his release came amid the ongoing protest against Hong Kong’s controversial extradition bill, which would allow criminal suspects to be transferred to Beijing where they will stand trial.
Though Hong Kong authorities have suspended its passage, protesters remain on the streets to call for the resignation of their top officials, as critics fear the measure would be used to target political dissidents outside the mainland.
De Lima said she hopes that the Hong Kong protests would ignite the fire in the heart of every Filipino to speak out against the rampant extrajudicial killings, violation of human rights and corruption under the Duterte regime.
“Sana’y mabigyan ng protesta sa Hong Kong ng inspirasyon at lakas ng loob ang ating mga kababayan upang tumayo at mag-ingay laban sa kabi-kabilang pagpatay na resulta ng giyera ng pamahalaan kontra illegal na droga na pawang mahihirap at walang laban lang ang tinatamaan, (I hope these Hong Kong protests would give our citizens the inspiration and the courage to stand and be vocal about the killings happening left and right as a result of the government’s war on drugs where those who are hit are only the poor and defenseless),” De Lima said.
She also said Filipinos should also take a brave stand against the oppression and rampant human rights violations under the Duterte regime, like the millions of Hong Kong nationals who trooped to the streets to fight for their rights.
“Hindi tayo dapat magbulag-bulagan at magbingi-bingihan sa mga nangyayaring paglabag sa karapatang pantao sa bansa (We should not be deaf or blind to the human rights violations happening in our country),” she said.
“Panahon na upang ipaglaban ang mga karapatang ito laban sa mapaniil na rehimeng Duterte, (It’s time to fight for these rights under this oppressive Duterte regime),” she stressed.
Sen. Leila de Lima (PRIB Photo by Alex Nuevaespaña / File Photo MANILA BULLETIN)
“This is a monumental victory for democracy, not just for Hong Kong, but for all freedom-loving people from different parts of the world,” De Lima said in a statement.
“Ang pagpapalaya kay Joshua Wong ay sumisimbolo, hindi lang sa laban ng mga taga-Hong Kong para sa kanilang karapatan, kundi ito’y napakahalagang bahagi ng kasaysayan sa ating laban para mapanatili ang demokrasya at kalayaan, (Joshua Wong’s release symbolizes, not only Hong Kong’s fight for their rights, but is also an important part of our fight to sustain freedom and democracy),” the senator added.
Wong, 22 years old, was finally released from prison after serving one month of a two-month jail term in relation to the 2014 Occupy protests which called for universal suffrage in Hong Kong.
However, his release came amid the ongoing protest against Hong Kong’s controversial extradition bill, which would allow criminal suspects to be transferred to Beijing where they will stand trial.
Though Hong Kong authorities have suspended its passage, protesters remain on the streets to call for the resignation of their top officials, as critics fear the measure would be used to target political dissidents outside the mainland.
De Lima said she hopes that the Hong Kong protests would ignite the fire in the heart of every Filipino to speak out against the rampant extrajudicial killings, violation of human rights and corruption under the Duterte regime.
“Sana’y mabigyan ng protesta sa Hong Kong ng inspirasyon at lakas ng loob ang ating mga kababayan upang tumayo at mag-ingay laban sa kabi-kabilang pagpatay na resulta ng giyera ng pamahalaan kontra illegal na droga na pawang mahihirap at walang laban lang ang tinatamaan, (I hope these Hong Kong protests would give our citizens the inspiration and the courage to stand and be vocal about the killings happening left and right as a result of the government’s war on drugs where those who are hit are only the poor and defenseless),” De Lima said.
She also said Filipinos should also take a brave stand against the oppression and rampant human rights violations under the Duterte regime, like the millions of Hong Kong nationals who trooped to the streets to fight for their rights.
“Hindi tayo dapat magbulag-bulagan at magbingi-bingihan sa mga nangyayaring paglabag sa karapatang pantao sa bansa (We should not be deaf or blind to the human rights violations happening in our country),” she said.
“Panahon na upang ipaglaban ang mga karapatang ito laban sa mapaniil na rehimeng Duterte, (It’s time to fight for these rights under this oppressive Duterte regime),” she stressed.