Message from a Middle-Aged Brazilian to Hong Kong’s Young Protesters

For some time now I have been following the protests in Hong Kong; Believe me when I tell you I am emotionally equipped to understand when people feel the need to make their voice heard by their rulers; The basic humanity we share has me praying that all ends well over there, but things seem to have taken a worrisome turn lately, and I feel you might be falling into a sad trap, one that I’ve seen my own people fall victim to over here in Brazil, and more than once in my lifetime;

During mankind’s long, long journey to this point, we have had to struggle so much for every inch of progress, cope with so many terrible blows, so much blood was shed, so many lives were sacrificed, it’s easy to forget we, too, are but a stepping stone for the next generations, a quick stop along the way, History merely blinking its eyes; The young are especially ( and mercifully ) oblivious to this condition: even now as we speak, we already are the long-deceased, we are the past generations historians research and talk about;

And yet, we’re lucky:

We were born in a time where the concept of basic human rights exists and is widely accepted. To our shame, there are still people who are illiterate, people who go hungry and even places where one can be born to a life of virtual slavery, but the concept of democracy is held in such high regard that even authoritarian regimes have again and again tried to feign and claim obedience to it; That precious supremacy was conquered through the blood and lives I mentioned before, through sometimes very personal struggles for justice, through wars and revolutions, and even through art.

That certainly doesn’t mean there is no progress left to be made; it certainly doesn’t mean there isn’t anything worth fighting for, but it does mean we must honor the sacrifices of past generations by recognising we have the right and the means to fight unjust aggressions, but also the grave responsibility to seek dialogue and compromises whenever possible.

History has placed you, my brothers and sisters in Hong Kong, in a very unique situation; Neocolonialism and its Opium Wars, and then the Cold War and the 1949 Chinese Revolution meant that, in 1997, you’d have to find a completely new path to tread. Those things are never painless ( Look at the divided Koreas as our time’s saddest reminder of what fate could have befallen your homeland; Think of Taiwan’s own issues; ), but you, Hong Kong, have managed to make it through somewhat unscathed ( given the circumstances ); Who could have imagined “one country, two systems” could actually work in any degree? I didn’t.

But here you are! And justice be done, no small portion of that is due to Beijing’s efforts to respect your unique background and your share of autonomy, in what seems to be a sincere effort to keep the peace.

History warns us, however, any regime, and that includes even the most democratic, has as much of a survival instinct in them as any animal, and they will push back when really cornered; Being over here on the other side of the planet, it’s not easy for me to fully grasp what it is like to be alive in Hong Kong in 2019, but the question you must ask yourselves is, “Is it really worth it?”. I sincerely don’t have the answer to that, only you do, but please do take a moment to consider: The 1989 Gate of Heavenly Peace protests were mostly well-meaning young people making reasonable demands. When we think about how things turned out, was it really worth it?

So that’s the question you must ask yourselves, my dear Hong Kong brothers and sisters; It seems to me you’re starting to push too far… Are your lives worth it? Are your youth and freedom worth it? I could understand when you took to the streets against the extradition bill, but you’ve stopped it! You’ve won! If the bill or any similar project is presented in the near future ( and I frankly believe nobody would be that stupid ), take to the streets again! But escalating protests without clear, objective demands is a recipe for disaster, however well-meaning its participants may be. Asking for “more democracy”, “more freedom”, “justice” and other general concepts, no matter how noble ideals they may be, is not only ineffective: it usually doesn’t end well, and most of the time ( and I’ve seen it happen ) well-meaning crowds are being manipulated to create instability so that enemies of whatever clique is at the top can try to overthrow them and take their place, or to at the very least keep those in power too busy to focus on much else;

World History has many examples of that. Read about any major revolution, and you will be able to compare what the common people set out to achieve, and what the aftermath was. And there’s always much suffering involved; It usually costs many lives; My own Brazil has gone through that process in a ( so far ) minor way yet again these past few years;

I am forced to humbly repeat how our distance and my ignorance renders me uncapable of giving you a satisfying answer to your unique charade in this confusing and worrisome year of 2019, and I do believe ‘right is more precious than peace’, but I am emboldened by the common humanity that binds us, by my sincere desire for a peaceful solution to your predicament, and by my concern for your safety and prosperity, and therefore I repeat the question: Is this fight worth your peace? Is it worth your blood?

My dear Hong Kong: whatever your decision, whatever happens, believe my very sincere prayers will be with you; May you find the path to ever happier times;

   Best wishes from your Brazilian friend;