Hong Kong protest leader Wong Yik-mo: "This is a trap"

Will the situation in Hong Kong escalate completely? More and more, clashes between demonstrators and the police are taking place in the Special Administrative Region. The regime in Beijing calls the protesters "terrorists", who in turn accuse the security forces of disproportionate use of force. Many Hong Kong people speak of the last chance to defend themselves against Chinese conditions.

Wong Yik-mo, 33, is one of the organizers of recent protests. He was already in the umbrella revolution five years ago in the heart of the financial metropolis, which was disbanded after 79 days, without the government was able to make political reforms. Wong works for the human rights organization Civil Human Rights Front today.

He pursued the Chancellor's visit to China from Germany, exchanging ideas and giving interviews. The movement needs international attention to put pressure on Beijing.

Merkel said in Beijing that "peaceful solutions" had to be found in the conflict over Hong Kong. The agreement "One country, two systems", on which China had agreed with the former crown colony Great Britain and guarantees the freedom of expression and assembly, applies, Merkel said.

SPIEGEL: Mr. Wong, did the Chancellor choose the right words in Beijing?

Wong Yik-mo: Ms Merkel should have said where the violence comes from: the police, not the ranks of the demonstrators. She should know exactly what it feels like to be unfree. She grew up in the GDR. In addition, Germany should oblige all its trading partners - and thus also China - to respect human rights. In a few years, Beijing will be so influential that the Chinese government will not care less. Therefore, it should now be stopped.

SPIEGEL : Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser was part of the business delegation with the Chancellor in China. He then loudly said "Bild" that destabilizing forces in Hong Kong could be at work, he can not quite assess the situation. What do you make of it?

Wong: The word stability is often used in propaganda from Beijing, it actually means obedience to the Chinese government. And the Germans know what it means to obey authoritarian regimes obediently. This is the beginning of the downfall. If Mr. Kaeser does not have enough information, he should get it.

SPIEGEL: Hong Kong Prime Minister Carrie Lam announced last week that the extradition law, which triggered the protests, was to be definitively withdrawn. What effect did that have on the protest movement?

Wong: The people got tired. There are those who want to compromise now, even though they know it will not do us much. They fear that there will be more injuries or even deaths. Giving up is not an option in my opinion. We will continue until all our demands are met and we have universal suffrage. Without that, nothing else benefits us.

SPIEGEL: Is the movement ready to enter into dialogue with the government?

Wong: We learned our lessons from the umbrella revolution. At that time, students met with Carrie Lam and tried to find solutions. In the dialogue, however, she rejected our demands. What's more, three in five of the students who talked to her were arrested afterwards. It is a trap. Carrie Lam is the devil. She has done all this to make the international public believe she shakes hands with the demonstrators. Even Chancellor Merkel noted that in China, so it worked. But we know that she is lying.

SPIEGEL: In a sound recording that was published last week, Lam says she would resign, if she could. Is not she really very weak?

Wong: She presents herself publicly as a victim, and the sound recording fits into her strategy. Even if Beijing does not want it to give up, it could publicly announce that it no longer wants to be head of government. It would be enough if she admonished the police so that the situation would not escalate further. But nothing like that comes from her.

SPIEGEL: What do you expect to bring up in Germany?

Wong: The information here about the protests in Hong Kong is not comprehensive enough. For example, nine people have died in despair over the situation in Hong Kong, but little is said about it. Also the extent of police violence: Protesters are beaten until they have broken bones, but they do not dare to go to the hospitals. They are afraid that their data will be passed on to the police from there. Women are admonished and harassed during arrests or searches. Hong Kong citizens who sympathize with the police are also attacking us because they know they will get away with it.

SPIEGEL: What exactly do you expect from the German government?

Wong: The German government should stop delivering arms to Hong Kong. Not even equipment for the police until the conflict is resolved. We also need observers from Germany and the EU to get an idea of ​​the human rights situation in Hong Kong. Then you will see how serious the situation is now.

SPIEGEL: In recent days we have seen pictures of Hong Kong burning barricades and broken paving stones. What do you think about radical actions on the part of the demonstrators?

Wong: I think it needs both sides: the peaceful demonstrators, and also the radical ones. They were peaceful, but that's what the circumstances made of them. In any case, we are only concerned about protecting ourselves, we do not want to hurt anyone. If barricades are set on fire, it poses no danger to humans, just as little if you throw a stone ten meters away. This is more of a deterrent.